The Umuchima village, a community in Ebonyi State, has dragged Works Minister, Dave Umahi before President Bola Tinubu, over alleged land grabbing and threats to life by the Minister.
In a petition filed on behalf of the community by a law firm, Shield and Sword Consult, the community called for a thorough investigation of the Minister, who is the President’s party man and a political leader in Ebonyi State.
The petition, copied to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also alleged intimidation of individuals speaking up against the Minister’s actions.
A signed and acknowledged copy of the petion, dated October 6, 2025, was obtained by NEWSNGR on Thursday. It was signed by the Principal
Consultant of the law firm, Mr Silas Joseph.
The petition stated that the lives of one Prince Njoku Chita and his family members were allegedly being threatened by the Minister.
According to the petitioners, the family members’ lives came under threat after they had been “cojoled” by the Minister to relinquish a large expanse of their ancestral land, ostensibly for community development.
They said part of the land was what was used in building the structures housing the Dave Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, which the petitioner said the community did not oppose.
The petition stated in part, “Engr David Nweze Umahi (the Minister of Works) who is from Umunaga village of Uburu, has long before he became the Governor of Ebonyi State, been grabbing lands from helpless and indigent villagers – mostly from Umuchima village.
“The trend worsened when he became the Governor, as he basically expropriated lands in the name of government, for himself in the community with a threat that all lands belong to government and government could take over any land and pay compensation to whomever refuses to allow him have his way.
“While claiming that the DUFUTH was built on forcefully confiscated lands, a large part of which belongs to the Njoku Chita family, the family said they had accepted their fate for the good of the entire community.
“But he (Umahi) went on to also forcefully takeover our clients’ land, located behind a place known as Ene Ofor’s compound, where he built his so called ‘Industrial Cluster,’ which is his private industry anyway.
“Furthermore, even after his tenure as Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. Umahi continued to assert the power of a state government in his bid to own the entire community, which he has since totally and personally surveyed and now appointed a committee for the expansion of the university land.”
The petition further alleged that when the committee, set up by the Minister began its expansion activities, the family was again “cajoled” into surrendering more of their family land “for the sake of peace and development.”
The petitioners, however, insisted that the lands were taken over by the Minister for his own private developments.
“Our clients are lost as they thought that the university is now a federal institution and wondered why a private citizen will be setting up committees to expand the land of a federal university by expropriating private owned lands.
“The ground work, cutting through our clients’ land, has already begun in total disregard of their right and ownership. Soon, the Minister will take down the buildings thereon and desecrate the graves of their dead buried in the land.
“As a federal Minister, our clients are shocked that with all the federal roads needing urgent attention in Ebonyi State, Umahi is more interested in mapping out roads on private village lands for a project that is not of the Federal Government as he claimed, is being funded by him to develop the community.”
The petitioners urged President Tinubu to direct the relevant security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
“With such investigation, other communities and families whose lands have been similarly grabbed by the Minister, would be willing to come forward with facts on the matter. All these lands taken from the community are for the Minister’s own private estate development,” the petition concluded.
Umahi, however, dismissed the allegations as a distraction.
Speaking through his Media Adviser, Orji Uchenna, the Minister said the allegations are as baseless as they are frivolous.
Umahi backed the call for police investigation into the allegations, saying that he would be vindicated in the end.
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