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A faction of the Amachai Community in Delta State, identified as Group B, has defended the sale of a disputed parcel of land to MALTEK Resources Limited, insisting that the transaction was lawful and backed by court judgments.
The group also dismissed allegations of land grabbing against the company’s attorney and real estate consultant, Engineer Samuel Morah, describing the claims as false and defamatory.
Addressing journalists in Asaba, the Dekta State capital, the Secretary of Amachai Community Group B, Dr. Joseph Okolie, said the briefing was convened to respond to recent protests by members of the other faction of the community, known as Group A.
Okolie said Group A had protested at the Delta State Government House, accusing Samuel Morah of encroaching on community land without lawful authority.
He said, “We are here to debunk that statement, categorically, because we, the members of Group B of Amachai, are all sons and daughters of Amachai, just as they are.”
Okolie explained that although the community is divided into two factions following a court classification, Group B lawfully sold part of its land to MALTEK Resources before efforts were made by the late Omu of Okpanam to broker peace between the groups.
He said the peace process resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which provided that all previous land sales by both groups would remain valid. The agreement also reportedly outlined the sharing of community land among the four villages that make up Amachai, with a fifth portion reserved for the entire community.
Okolie, however, alleged that members of Group A later reneged on the agreement by denying Group B access to its allocated land and subsequently instituting a legal action to challenge the allocation.
He said: “The suit, which began in 2012 at the High Court in Asaba, was decided in favour of Group B in 2020.” He added that the judgment was upheld by the Court of Appeal after Group A challenged the ruling.
He further alleged that members of Group A had repeatedly disrupted activities on the land, including attempts by contractors engaged by MALTEK Resources to commence work.
Okolie claimed that contractors had been harassed, equipment obstructed, and multiple petitions submitted to various law enforcement agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Zone 5.
Okolie maintained that Morah was acting within the law, noting that MALTEK Resources appointed him through a valid power of attorney after purchasing the land from Group B.
“Engineer Samuel Morah did not fall from heaven. We sold the land to MALTEK Resources, and the company gave him a power of attorney to work on its land. There is no basis for the allegation that he is a land grabber,” he said.
He urged the public to disregard what he described as misleading claims made during the protest, insisting that the protesters failed to present the history of the dispute and the court decisions supporting Group B’s position.
Also speaking during an interview, Dr. (Mrs.) Florence Madu, widow of the deceased who sold the land to MALTEK Resources, narrated how her late husband acquired the land from the Amachai community and later became involved in litigation arising from competing claims.
She said a peace intervention led by the late Omu of Okpanam encouraged the parties to respect existing transactions and allow compensation where necessary. She noted that despite the intervention, her late husband and his associates faced repeated attempts to dispossess them of the land, leading to further legal action.
Mrs. Madu claimed that the court eventually ruled in favour of Group B, the faction that sold the land to her husband. She further alleged that the continued disputes and confrontations over the property affected her late husband before his death.
She said, “My husband was very transparent and always stood by the truth. But the situation made it difficult for him to keep his word because of the constant conflict over the land.”
She added that before her husband’s death, he mandated Engineer Samuel Morah to take steps to recover and develop the property, a directive she said was formalised through a letter of attorney.
“I was a witness when the arrangement was made. Everything was properly documented and sealed,” adding that MALTEK Resources was acting within its legal rights in continuing development efforts. She maintained that the documentation and legal instruments surrounding the transaction were properly executed and should be respected.
In a separate reaction, Engineer Samuel Morah, attorney and real estate consultant to MALTEK Resources Limited, also explained that his actions were strictly within legal and professional boundaries.
He said the recent protest at the Delta State Government House had defamed his reputation, adding that he would seek legal redress against those responsible.
“I am going to do the needful to prosecute whoever has defamed my personality. We will follow due process. We are not going to resort to violence.”
He said MALTEK Resources legitimately acquired the land from the Amachai community faction known as Group B, following a long-standing internal dispute that was later addressed through a peace agreement facilitated by traditional authorities.
He said the agreement, which was reduced into a Memorandum of Understanding, affirmed that previous land transactions by both factions would remain valid. He disclosed that the dispute escalated in 2012 when Group A challenged the arrangement in court, not against MALTEK Resources directly, but against Group B.
He also referenced a public notice issued by MALTEK Resources through its legal representatives, warning trespassers to vacate the land or face legal action. He dismissed the allegations that he was a land grabber, describing them as baseless.
“I am a Nigerian, born and raised in Delta State. I am a qualified professional, acting under a legitimate mandate. This is a lawful business transaction.”
He further alleged that some individuals involved in the dispute were also facing unrelated legal issues, including petitions and court cases over other land matters in the state. He maintained that MALTEK Resources would continue to rely on legal means to protect its interests and ensure the development of the property.
Present at the event included; Ogbueshi Peter Okeleke, Ogbueshi Celestine Okolie, Mr. Peter Izegbu, Chris Obiora, Emeka Noah, Agala Nonso, Osadele Okeleke, and Diokpa Oburotha.
