A US-based Nigerian, Ambassador Ebele Maduka, has accused Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Darlington Nnamdi Ijeh, of allegedly grabbing a plot of land he purchased from him in 2017.
Maduka claims ownership of Plot 3C, Dalo Estate, near Asaba International Airport, along the Asaba–Onitsha Expressway, which he says is properly documented in the Delta State lands registry with a Certificate of Occupancy No. DTSR 17398.
Speaking through his legal counsel, Chidel Onuora, at a press conference in Asaba, Delta State, Maduka alleged that multiple individuals have been laying claim to the land, preventing him from developing it. He further stated that the commissioner’s personal assistant, identified as Okwy, had removed the gate and part of the fence on the property under the pretext that they were deteriorating.
“I am very disturbed by this development,” Maduka said. “Upon my readiness to commence development, I found that parts of the property had been tampered with. The commissioner has remained unreachable, leaving me to deal with suspected land grabbers.”
Commissioner Ijeh, however, denied any wrongdoing, insisting that Maduka should resolve the issue directly.
“I don’t have any problem with anybody regarding property or land,” Ijeh said. “If there is any issue, the best thing is for him to come to me and do the needful—make all the payments. Instead of that, he is using people, the police, and lawyers to reach me.”
He further stated that the land in question was subject to a Supreme Court judgment, and Maduka had allegedly failed to regularize the ownership despite being asked to do so for over five years.
The dispute remains unresolved, as Maduka insists on reclaiming his land while the commissioner maintains his stance on the legal status of the property.
