GanagiBitrus: One should be free to practise any religion of his choice. However, any religion that supports taking the life of your fellow human being, all in the name of fighting for their God, should be done away with.
Such a religion reduces a human being to the level of an animal.
which animal Sir? Animals don't kill their kind, only human
HOW THE ABANDONED PROPERTY ACT WAS BORN, By Khaleed Yazeedu
Port Harcourt, Late 1975.
The Nigerian Civil War had ended five years earlier. The guns were silent. The Biafran flag was lowered. But for the Igbo people, the battle was far from over. The new war was no longer fought on the blood-soaked fields of Enugu or Nsukka. It was a quiet war, fought in offices, courtrooms, and government houses.
In a nondescript room inside the Rivers State Government House, a secret meeting convened behind closed doors. The ceiling fan hummed relentlessly as a group of men gathered around a heavy wooden table strewn with maps, legal documents, and property claims. They were about to forge a legal instrument that would devastate the Igbo people for generations.
At the head of the table sat Navy Commander Alfred Diete-Spiff, then the young and ambitious Military Governor of Rivers State. With him were key figures who would shape one of Nigeria’s most painful post-war legacies:
Justice Ephraim Akpata, Chief Judge of Rivers State
Colonel Anthony Ukpo, liaison officer from the Supreme Military Council
Dr. Okoi Arikpo, federal advisor and Foreign Minister
A Yoruba constitutional lawyer from Lagos (name withheld for privacy) tasked with drafting the legal framework
Senior civil commissioners and property officials from Rivers and Cross River States
The Agenda That Shattered Lives
Their mission was clear but devastating:
1. Declare Igbo properties abandoned and seize them as state assets.
2. Create legal cover to prevent restitution claims.
3. Redistribute these properties to indigenous residents, military officers, and political cronies.
4. Avoid federal interference and silence Eastern political voices.
The Conversation Behind Closed Doors
In the low lit room, voices spoke with calculated certainty.
Diete-Spiff opened the discussion: “The war may have ended, but we must protect our people from the return of those who fled. These properties are abandoned. The Easterners cannot simply come back and reclaim what is ours.”
Justice Akpata responded: “Then we must codify what ‘abandoned’ means. If someone leaves during war and does not return within a specified time, the property legally belongs to the state.”
The Yoruba lawyer from Lagos added: “This can be defended in court if issued as a military edict rather than through legislative processes. We establish a custodian board to manage and reallocate these properties.”
Colonel Ukpo raised a concern: “What about the federal government? Will they accept this?”
Dr. Arikpo, calm and assured, replied: “The North will not object. Lagos may have reservations, but as long as there is no Eastern uproar, it will be allowed to pass.”
Diete-Spiff concluded: “Prepare the draft edict. No public announcements. Implementation only.”
Edict No. 5 of 1976: The Abandoned Property Act
Within weeks, the Edict was signed quietly in Port Harcourt. It created the Abandoned Property Custodian Board, authorized to seize and redistribute properties left behind by fleeing Igbos. The legal definition of abandoned was vague, allowing the board sweeping powers to declare properties vacant if unclaimed within an unspecified period.
In practice, this meant entire neighborhoods in Port Harcourt, from Diobu to D-Line, Oroworukwo to Old GRA, were reallocated to civil servants, military officers, and political favorites. Igbo families who survived the war returned home only to find their houses occupied or sealed off.
Federal Government’s Silent Consent
Though officially a state law, the federal government did not intervene. Why?
The federal Finance Ministry, influenced by Western Nigerian political interests, had already frozen Igbo bank accounts.
The Gowon administration preferred quiet reintegration over reopening war wounds through legal battles.
Yoruba elites, still recovering from political marginalization, tacitly supported policies that curtailed Igbo economic power.
Survivor Testimonies
Chief Nnamdi Okeke, a retired businessman from Port Harcourt, recalls: "I returned after the war expecting to rebuild. Instead, my family’s three-story home was occupied by a civil servant. We were told the property was abandoned and given away. We fought for years in court but lost every time."
Mrs. Ifeoma Chukwu, a widow from Enugu, shares: "My late husband’s shop in Balogun Market was reassigned while I was fleeing the war. I had no legal documents to prove ownership, they said I abandoned it. It was heartbreaking to see strangers in our place."
Mr. Emeka Nwosu, an Igbo civil servant, recounts: "In Lagos, I was denied my housing allocation because my name was removed from lists. I was told the government had ‘reallocated’ the property for security reasons. We lived as second class citizens in our own country."
The Legacy of a Legal Coup
This was not merely a property dispute. It was economic marginalization inflicted through the law.
How does a people rebuild after losing everything, land, homes, businesses, dignity? The Abandoned Property Act systematically erased Igbo presence from key Nigerian cities and economic centers. It decimated an entire community’s wealth and laid the groundwork for ongoing marginalization.
The Cost of One Nigeria:
Post war slogans promised “No victor, no vanquished.” But this legal dispossession said otherwise. It demanded forgiveness without justice. It punished a people for seeking to survive.
Today, descendants of those dispossessed still struggle for compensation, recognition, and healing.
A Call for Truth and Justice
This article is a call for historical honesty, national dialogue, and reconciliation based on facts, not rhetoric. A true unity demands acknowledging past wrongs, restoring dignity, and offering reparations where possible.
"They took their homes and called it unity. But unity without justice is a lie.”
You can factscheck me through these References:
Nigerian Federal Government Gazette, Edict No. 5 of 1976
Achebe, Chinua. There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra (2012)
Coleman, James S. Nigeria: Background to Nationalism
Falola, Toyin and Genova, Ann. Historical Dictionary of Nigeria (2009)
Interviews and oral histories collected from survivors in Port Harcourt and Lagos (2018-2024)
Legal Disclaimer
This article aims to present historical facts and survivor testimonies based on verified sources to promote truth and reconciliation. It does not intend to defame individuals or groups. Readers are encouraged to approach this topic with an open mind and seek further scholarly sources for comprehensive understanding.
Khaleed Yazeedu Student of History and Justice Advocate
Could you imagine the gang up,but today Igbos are doing well again.
dkidd: Lol she and her besties done finally knack the man comot for road. In whatever u do, don't die ooo... If u die they win. Stay the fvck alive by every means necessary
AlphaStyles: in my ND I only saw computer lab once the area sef looks like they only open it up once in a while for feed your eyes in 100l we learnt computer from our black board na for book I dey learn how to code lmao. Computer lab dey no be say e no dey ooo but they won't allow the students to learn there,they only use it for exams that is all. Too much theory wan finish this country. If we say let's make computer compulsory for all new students,the price alone won't make it affordable oya not to talk of the lecturers that are still archaic. How will students learn how to handle computers when na so so paper work u dey give them? Try and send your assignment to your lecturer in PDF form and u will find out that your are playing with F.
Again I still don't want to laff especially the PDF form part 😃
Honestey: This is a real examination but in my dear con3 Nigeria, the question would be;
How many Dangote cement quantity can be used to construct 3Bedroom Flat assuming the supervisor did not reduce the quantity and bricklayers only stole 5 bags?
onatisi: You will understand this case better if you watch verydarkman version about this issue. This man was tricked into admitting to the crime , and that was why the real robbers were released. When they got to court ,instead of this man pointing out the robbers and identifying then as the real robbers , he rather told the court that he has never seen them before .
GUNITGuy: To those who love to criticize AFCON nations cup I hope you had your joy in Euro Cup.... Honestly AFCON tournament was more interesting than this European Football..... The excitement on the pitch was just great ... I found the game between the two finalist uninteresting....Boring England with kick and Run while Spain possessing the ball for too long only to wait for a mistake and score just last minutes before 90th minutes... Compare the Games between Ivory Coast and Nigeria or Ghana vs Egypt or Ivory Coast vs Mali this were great matches
The "flat roof" pattern can be done in different ways, each having different cost effect.
IT COULD BE FLAT ROOF WITH EAVES PROJECTION ( as shown in model one of this post ) this option of flat roof is relatively the most economic option because it entails only the use of woods & aluminum sheet.
IT COULD BE FLAT ROOF WITH PARAPET WALL & ROOF GUTTER (as shown in model two & four of this post ) this option is personally my most preferred. It is more costly than option one however offers more beauty. its construction involves first casting of about 600/700mm wide by 100mm thick reinforced concrete gutters at which the roof gable wall springs up from it,then the gutter channels the rain water away from the top of the building. The roof is totally hidden . There exist a common form of this flat roof with parapet wall were the zinc/roof is connected directly/inside the parapet wall (i.e no roof gutter is made) such pattern can easily lead to leaks over a long time
IT COULD ALSO BE FLAT ROOF, CONCRETE FACIA. ( as shown in model 3 of this post)
This pattern is very similar with option one, different is the eaves are made of reinforced concrete slab, at which the purlins of the building rests on it.
Summary flat roof construction is more economical that the traditional hip roof, purely because of lesser volume. However, if not done properly by using professionals you ll definitely spend more or even get rid of it
thergha1: Pros: it is cheaper than the traditional roofing method It is easier to maintain if it's done properly You can use whatever kind of roofing sheet you want since the roof will be hidden It is faster to construct also Cons: it is easier to have roof leakage if it is not gotten right It does not trap heat as much as traditional roofing method but it will still do okay
If you are still not satisfied.. Dm
Exactly what I want to hear, thanks so much Sir. Will get back to you.
Hello nairalanders, Let me begin to appreciate you all for all the wonderful and insightful discussions being carried out here, it's really helpful.
I'm planning on building a 3 bedroom bungalow with hidden roof because I so much fancy the designs and it's simplicity but I'm afraid that many people are yet to embark massively on building such structure.
What are the cos and pros of building a hidden roof? What about the roof leakages and whole lot of unforseen circumstances?
Please those masters in the building industries should advice me before I made a mistake.
Again, it's seems only a few house engineers are into this type of structure.
Corea4king: U don't know anything about uffiom / ezza people,so stop spreading false information. I
Is uffiom that accommodated ezza people, because of their small population,ezza people beging to marginalize them. Go search uffion/ezza history
Nobody is marginalizing anybody but enviousness caused effium people to start buying weapons secretly in other to wipe their neighbors Ezzas. Again,Ezzas are doing very well in terms of properties and investment...there you have ur answers.
Prince2324: You are very stupid by spewing and writing this trash when you are fully aware that, that land is not Ezza land or does Effium land resemble That hell of a place you call Onueke.
I don't know the Joy you Ezza miscreants derive from fighting over something that doesn't belong to you.
And the funny thing about you Ezza guys is that you don't know how to fight, small Ezillo drove you out and you are here talking rubbish.
One thing you should know is that Ezza have never for once prepare to fight anybody of community... they were always be the first to be attack which also throw them off balance. So Ezzas are not warmongers as you claim,but won't fold hands and allow little parasite with little or no directions to wipe them. On a lighter note,it amuses me when you want to compare Almighty Ezzas to a tinye Effium.lol
Every other thing you mentioned is just a hogwash.
Ebubu: But the Govenment has demarcated the land and granted Uffiom indigenous rights as well as recognised their Chieftaincy stool, and only gave Ezza people semo-autonomous status.
Why can’t the Ezza accept that?
Why will Ezzas be accepted to play a second fiddle? Such a thing will never happen, any day the govt want to settle the matter we will know for now we neither have a working governor nor a village masquerade.
Ebubu: I am an Abakaliki man. Ezza people are my distant relatives. So naturally I should side them but I don’t.
I side with the state government who sided with the Uffiom people. A white paper agreement was gazetted in the ministry of justice this February that Ezza people are guests and Uffiom are their hosts, the traditional ruler in Uffiom is officially recognised and the Ezza are officially recognised as guests but Ezza can’t have traditional stool, however they are part of the land and are semi-autonomous.
I side with State government communique and Uffiom people. Even though I’m not related at all to Uffiom who migrated from Benue and Cross river in 17th century.
Let me tell you the story.
Uffiom migrated around 17th century to meet that land as Ngbo land . And I am from Ngbo. They waged war against us but couldn’t win, they travelled to recruit Ezza warriors who are notorious and popular warlords. Ezza had a deal that if they waged the war for them and they won, they would be part and parcel of the land for 100 years. Uffiom accepted and together they defeated us and pushed us further South and East of Ngbo land.
100 years has passed and Ezza have refused to go back to their land, claiming they’ve buried their fathers in Uffiom land and it’s against their tradition to exhume corpses. And they don’t have anywhere else to go. Quite well, Ezza is enterprising and have connections abroad and in Lagos and together they’ve developed the Uffiom land to a large extent but see the Uffiom aboriginals as having a backward lifestyle with no resources or wealth to develop their segments of the society, left for them they can turn Uffiom land to modern town if they are the sole occupants.
Uffiom people see their land grabbing and overbearing nature and want them out. They refuse. Traditional rulers start to incite locals and fight break out!
Just like what you have in Palestine and Israel at Gaza. Two tribes, one city. Nobody gree for eachother.
So don’t accuse me of siding Ezza when you have read my first paragraph
Thanks for ur straight forward narration,Ezza never started any war in the first place but Effium who secretly arming and stockpile arms to use to kill their brothers. Being an Ngboman you said you be,none of ur people ever like Ezza people for anything though is natural when you see ur neighbors doing very well in anything they lay their hands. Ogom I married from Amofia Abrigwe Ngbo and knows how I was treated though my father in-law is a Godsend. We're Israelites in the mix of Arabs.
Crime › Re: Adamawa Elders Outraged: ISWAP Massacre At Football Match Claims 29 Lives by achi4u(m): 11:30am On Apr 29
