The above caption is the cry of a poor Nigerian from Nkanu west local government area of Enugu state who narrated his experience with a famous Catholic priest and two government agencies - the Agbani customary court and the Nigerian Army whom he accused of colluding to snatch away his ancestral land leaving him stranded .

An elderly man who simply identified himself as Mr. Peter from Akpugo village confided in one of our crew members that he was called from Aba where he is carrying out a pety trade to take care of his sick and elderly father. That the caller told him Fr Edeh needed his attention in the village. He enquired to know why but was told by the caller to just come over. Been a Christian and a Catholic for that he could not turn down an invitation from such a high profile clergy of national recognition.


He went further to state that when he arrived, Fr Edeh requsted to buy his land bordering the University but without a second thought he turned down the request since that is the only land he has to share with his siblings. According to him even when fr Edeh told him that his family members will be given scholarship in addition to the payment ,he did not allow that to seduce him either since that is the only family land they have.

However according to Mr Peter, two weeks after his encounter with Fr Edeh, he got a call from the village that the land in question was been fenced into Madonna University. Worried by this development he hurried down to the village and discovered that the builders were working under heavy security coverage from men of the Nigerian Army.

He maintained that every attempt to meet with the University management was abortive as the security wouldn't allow him access. Totally frustrated, he headed to the Agbani customary court requesting that Madonna university be restrained from developing the land. And this was done.

Mr Peter further explained that while in the court the lawyer to fr Edeh claimed that another family came to claim ownership of the land and eventually sold it to Madonna. The elderly man insisted that when Fr Edeh discovered that those who sold the land to him could not defend the case he opted for outside court settlement which himself accepted gladly since he hasn't the money to prosecute a case against such a rich clergy.

Two weeks after the case was withdrawn from the court he got a call one night from a Rev Fr who introduced himself as Fr Joobi and said fr Edeh wanted to meet with him at the University environment. With this, Mr Peter came from Aba to meet with the University management.


He further told us that when fr Edeh arrived the venue of the meeting, he came in the company of heavily armed soldiers and mobile police. He (fr Edeh) ordered that every member of Mr Peter's family should be brought to the meeting. In this way, according to Mr Peter, the Army with a security van went to his house and dragged to the venue even his sick father who has been bedridden for for many years.

When everyone was present they proceeded to the piece of land and fr Edeh demanded that Peter's father should take and oath that if the land does not belong to him but he is claiming it, then let God kill him, and that if that happens, then let Madonna automatically take the land .According to Mr Peter he wanted to resist this fraudulent agreement since the father was already very sick and could die anytime but the security silenced him and that was how the dubious oath was taken.


Sometime after the oath the father died at the age of 98 and that same day, the family struggling over the land called fr Edeh to inform him and he immediately instructed his lawyer to approach the Agbani customary court to process the permanent forfeiture of the land to Madonna ; that his father's death is a sign of guilt.

Mr Peter is even afraid of talking about it since he was told that making a case out of it will bring about more death in his family.

We went to the school to get their own version of the story but the security at the gate wouldn't let us in. There was also a heavy presemce of the Military even at the Universoty gate

.After hours of waiting, a black tinted Avalon drove out and an Okada rider standing by told us that was the Rev fr in charge . we started our car to go after him but he moved like a rocket and disappeared on the dusty road. Totally frustrated we waited in vain amd left the premises

Our questions are::

What is the Military doing in such number at Madonna university?

Does the Judicial Council permit people's property to be taken using religious oaths?

Finally, we are calling on good spirited Nigerians to please help this poor man to have his land back

And on the Catholic Church to restrain fr Edeh from use of religious intimidation.

I hope he gets justice if this is true. It's really sickening the way the rich oppresses the poor and gets away with it.

This story too long na....

Fr. Edeh is on the right path. He is after all on the path of God. Who dares question he whom God has placed high? Mr. Peter should be thankful that Fr. Edeh did not ask him too to take the death oath. I am very sure that the God of Fr. Edeh would have struck him too if he had taken the oath. Liar like him.

Fr. Edeh, please continue. BTW, I hope no member of Pa Oyedepo's church read this. As they are true servants of the Lord's annointed, they might not be able to see 'sir-ka-zim' who is invisible to the spirit.