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Fresh concerns have emerged over the handling of an alleged land-grabbing case involving disputed developed property within Victoria Creek Gardens (VCG) Estate in Rivers State, with complainants accusing the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit in Abuja of failing to conduct a thorough investigation despite months of petitions and interventions.
The complainants alleged that the delays have enabled the principal suspect, Michael , to continue marketing and selling portions of the disputed estate while investigations remain inconclusive.
Residents also raised the alarm over what they described as the forceful takeover of developed properties, wanton demolition of buildings, intimidation of landowners and the alleged racketeering of landed assets within Victoria Creek Gardens.
According to them, despite the case being under police investigation, portions of the disputed property have continued to be advertised, developed and offered for sale, raising fresh concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement intervention.
The complainants escalated the matter to the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja after expressing dissatisfaction with the manner in which the case was previously handled by police authorities in Rivers State.
One of the principal complainants, identified simply as Dr. Chris, alleged that investigations conducted by the police in Port Harcourt in 2025 yielded no meaningful outcome, prompting him to seek intervention from the IGP Monitoring Unit.
He maintained that his objective was never to negotiate the sale of his property but to secure justice and ensure that the criminal allegations surrounding the dispute were properly investigated and, where necessary, prosecuted before a competent court.
According to him, his developed property, measuring more than 10,000 square metres and comprising a bungalow, perimeter fence, gatehouse and other structures, was allegedly demolished before the land was cleared for resale.
Dr. Chris further alleged that pressure had been mounted on him over the years to surrender the property in exchange for compensation, which he described as grossly inadequate.
He also alleged that Michael threatened him inside the office of the IGP Monitoring Unit, insisting that he either sell the property or lose everything. According to the complainant, the suspect also urged police officers handling the case to persuade him to dispose of the property.
“I approached law enforcement because I am not interested in selling my property under duress or intimidation,” the complainant said.
“My position has always been that I want to retain my legally acquired property and not be forced out by persons seeking to take over land through intimidation.”
The complainant further alleged that during the earlier investigation, the suspect was arrested and detained before being granted bail.
According to him, rather than initiating criminal proceedings as requested, investigators allegedly advised that the matter could only be resolved if he agreed to sell the property to the suspect.
He described the suggestion as unacceptable, insisting that it defeated the purpose of reporting the matter to law enforcement authorities.
The dispute is said to have intensified after the complainants alleged that the suspect continued to enter the disputed property, carry out developments and market portions of the land while investigations were still ongoing.
Previous reports indicated that the complainants repeatedly met with senior officers of the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja over concerns that the investigation had stalled.
During one of the meetings, senior officers reportedly assured the complainants that the case file would be withdrawn from the then Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and his team leader for reassignment.
However, the process allegedly suffered delays after the team leader handling the file reportedly became unreachable.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the Deputy Head of the Monitoring Unit made repeated attempts to reach the team leader by telephone to facilitate the retrieval of the case file but was unsuccessful because his mobile phones were reportedly switched off.
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While the administrative process lingered, the complainants alleged that activities on the disputed property continued unabated.
One of the affected property owners, Mr. Greg Sokari, whose property was allegedly demolished, also expressed concern over ongoing promotional campaigns for Victoria Creek Gardens circulating on social media, inviting prospective investors to purchase plots within the estate despite the subsisting ownership dispute.
In one of the promotional materials seen by Primetime Reports, the estate announced its participation at the Obakor Ikwerre International Convention in Houston, Texas, where investment opportunities in Victoria Creek Gardens were showcased.
The advertisement has generated outrage among some of the complainants, who insist that ownership of portions of the estate remains the subject of an ongoing police investigation.
Fresh developments have, however, raised additional concerns following the eventual reassignment of the case to another investigation team within the IGP Monitoring Unit.
According to findings by Primetime Reports, the newly assigned investigators allegedly discovered that the case file contained little or no evidence of investigative activities carried out by the previous team.
Sources familiar with the matter claimed that the file lacked documented investigative steps ordinarily expected in a criminal investigation, raising questions about whether meaningful investigative work had been undertaken before the reassignment.
The development has fuelled allegations by the complainants that the investigation may have been deliberately frustrated, resulting in further setbacks.
Sources also disclosed that during internal discussions, one of the investigators allegedly suggested that the matter be returned to Port Harcourt on the grounds that it involved land-related offences committed within Rivers State.
The complainants strongly opposed the proposal.
According to them, the matter was escalated to Abuja because they had lost confidence in the handling of the investigation in Rivers State.
They alleged that previous efforts to obtain justice at the state level had been compromised and argued that returning the case to the same jurisdiction would further frustrate the pursuit of justice.
The complainants further alleged that Amadi-Orwu had previously boasted of possessing influential connections capable of frustrating legal proceedings in Rivers State and claimed to enjoy the protection of powerful individuals.
Meanwhile, other complainants insisted that the police should either conclude investigations and prosecute the matter where sufficient evidence exists or take decisive steps to halt further transactions involving the disputed property pending the outcome of investigations.
They warned that the continued sale of disputed portions of the estate could expose unsuspecting buyers to prolonged litigation and substantial financial losses.
The dispute has once again drawn attention to the growing challenge of alleged land grabbing, forced evictions and property-related conflicts in rapidly developing parts of Rivers State, particularly along the Port Harcourt Airport Road corridor, where rising land values have intensified ownership disputes.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official statement addressing the latest concerns raised by the complainants regarding the reassigned investigation.
Efforts to obtain comments from Michael were unsuccessful as of press time.
The allegations remain the subject of an ongoing police investigation, and no court has made any determination on the claims by either party.
