The Rivers State government has settled a 40-year old land dispute between Umuordu Mba and Umuayara Mba communities in Etche Local Government Area.
The execution of the judgment follows the demarcation of the land in dispute by the offices of the Surveyor General and Deputy Sheriff of Rivers State.
In the judgement delivered by Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli on November 30, 2015, the court had directed that the land from Uzonwolo on the left to Uzomiri Umuokomoche on the left belongs to Umuordu Mba community of Etche Local Government Area.
Speaking during the exercise, an officer from the Office of the Deputy Sheriff, Rivers State, who spoke under condition of anonymity, confirmed the judgement and warned that anyone found flouting the execution order would be severely punished.
The source said according to the judgement, “from the left side of Umuordu of Uzonwolo to the left side of Uzomiri Umuokomoche should belong to Umuordu”.
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He said the court also issued a memo dated October 25, 2016, directing the Surveyor General of the state to embark on the demarcation exercise without delay.
However, Umuayara filed a stay of execution of the judgement with suit No PHC/3219/CS/2021, which was dismissed by Justice I. Wali.
Speaking during the exercise, a staff of the Office of the Surveyor General, Rivers State, Samson Bieh, said the exercise was in compliance with a court judgement, which settled the dispute between the two communities. “We are here to do what the court says”, he noted.
Bieh, also, said that the purported stay of execution was also dismissed.
Also speaking, an officer from the Office of the Deputy Sheriff, Rivers State, who spoke under condition of anonymity, confirmed the execution of the judgement.
He warned that anyone found flouting the execution order would be severely punished.
The demarcation exercise witnessed the erection of beacons with numbers from 01 to 025.
