By Ime Silas
His Lordship, Justice Edem Akpan of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State sitting in Uyo Judicial Division has adjourned till February 5, 2025 for further hearing a suit brought before the court by Bishop Kufre Nwaowo against the Clan Head of Oku Kingdom in Uyo local government area, His Highness, Etebom Enefiok Okpon.
The matter which which was first heard on December 10, 2024, borders on alleged invocation of juju by Etebom Okpon on a piece of land situate at Udu Oku street, Ikot Oku Village in Uyo. The said land, according to documents in our possession, belongs to the Throne of Harvest Gospel Centre, a church where Kufre Nwaowo serves as resident Pastor.
According to various documents sighted by our correspondent, a section of the said land which originally belonged to Ikot Oku Village, had been occupied by the church on leasing basis for a long time before an arrangement was made by the Village Head and his cabinet for an outright sale of the property to the Church.
Our paper gathered that the piece of land measuring about 851.337sqm, is part of an over 6,000sqm of larger parcel of land within the same location, entire of which also owned by the Ikot Oku village.
Investigation reveals that the Church has been occupying the Village Council Hall which also situate on the same larger parcel of land. Payment receipts show that the Church has been paying rents to the village council consistently for about twelve (12) years.
Apart from the Town Hall, other public amenities within and around the disputed land are Health Centre, market and primary school, all bearing Ikot Oku Village.
But, our checks showed that problem started after the church had completed payment for the said land that the Clan Head, Etebom Enefiok Okpon came out to lay claims on it, saying that the portion belonged to Oku Clan.
In a letter dated August 20, 2024, signed for the Clan Head by one Obong Emmanuel Ekong, Bishop Kufre Nwaowo was invited to a meeting at the Palace of the Clan Head for, as learnt, the purpose of discussing payment for the said land, to the Clan Head.
It was further learnt that upon the Church’s refusal to make another payment, on the grounds that it had already paid to the Village Council being the rightful owners of the said land, Etebom Enefiok Okpon went and invoked what has been described in Court documents as ‘juju’ on the land. The Clan Head claimed that he got a written approval for the invocation of the injunction from the Paramount Ruler of Uyo LGA, HRM, Edidem Sylvanus Okon.
In his swift reaction, the Paramount Ruler in a letter dated 9th December, 2024, which he personally signed, debunked authorizing the Clan Head to place any traditional injunction on the said land.
The letter which was addressed to Nwoko & Co (solicitors to Pastor Kufre Nwaowo and Throne of Harvest Gospel Centre) stated thus “sequel to your letter dated 19th November, 2024, on the above subject matter, I write to inform you that, I did not authorize the Village Head of Ikot Oku, Eteidung Godwin Ebong, neither did I authorize Etebom Enefiok Okpon, the Clan Head of Oku to place an injection on the said property.
It is good to note that, the Executive Chairman of Uyo Local Government Area had earlier warned the Clan Head of Oku to stay away from the said property. Above for your information and necessary action”.
Efforts by our correspondent to speak to the Clan Head of Oku were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone number were neither responded to, nor returned.