Dr Marx Nduaguibe 


... Communities, Others Mobilise For Protest


 Abia State Governor Alex Otti's growing authoritarian rule over the weekend came to play as he allegedly ordered the arrest and detention of Dr Max Nduaguibe,  for yet to be disclosed reasons.  "...truck loads of fierce looking armed police officers stormed the Nsulu - Nbawsi country home of Dr Max Nduaguibe and abducted him to Umuahia, the State capital", sources told dailyledger.com.ng.  Nduaguibe is a respected legal luminary and elder statesman


Policemen at Nduaguibe's home 

However sources close to Dr Nduaguibe's family say his arrest might not be unconnected with the proposed construction of an airport in Abia State which has set the State Government at daggers drawn with land owners.



No reason has been given by the police for the arrest of Dr Nduaguibe, but sources say it might not be unconnected with on going protest against  the Abia State government by  communities in Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North LGA. The communities are protesting over the seizure of what they described as their farmlands by government for the proposed airport.



Dailyledger.com.ng gathered that the police stormed Nduaguibe's home as early as 4am on Sunday and surrounded the compound. The news about the arrival of the police soon attracted women from all over the community who equally gathered in their numbers and began protesting over the police invasion.



According to Nduaguibe's son, Cornel Max-Nduaguibe, more than 40 heavily armed police officers from the Umuahia Police Headquarters surrounded the family home and arrested his father without a warrant.


The arrest is widely believed to be linked to the community’s continued protest against the airport project sited in the community and whose construction is scheduled to be flagged off on Dec. 17, 2024 in a ceremony that will be attended by Governor Alex Otti and Aviation Minister,  Festus Keyamo.


Cornel Max-Nduaguibe  described his father's arrest as “brazen harassment” and an “abuse of power.”


He accused the Abia State government of using intimidation to silence dissent and seize communal lands.


“Is this how the government intends to treat our people and the elderly? By using force and intimidation to confiscate our lands and rights?”


The police have yet to issue an official statement regarding Dr. Nduaguibe’s arrest. 


The apparent lack of transparency and consultation between government and land owners has fueled community outrage. The latest development is seen as  intention by government to silence opposition and prevent protests during the airport’s flag-off.


The Nsulu community is however not taking the development calmly and Community leaders have called for a mass protest at Umuahia’s State CID to demand Nduaguibe’s immediate release.


Protests by the Umuezeukwu community began when Abia State government officials visited, with  additional protests  planned for Ubaha on Tuesday, demonstrating the community’s determination to fight for their land rights.


The situation highlights the growing conflict between the Abia State government and the Nsulu Kingdom over land rights and the consequences of large-scale development projects


The arrest of  Nduaguibe marks a significant escalation of the conflict and raises serious concerns about  Gov Alex Otti's growing strong arms tactics to silence the opposition and thumbing of the nose on rule of law and human rights  administration 


In a report, the Vanguard newspaper quoted Dr Nduaguibe, speaking from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Umuahia, described his arrest as unwarranted and unsettling. He  recounted the early morning encounter: “They came around 4 am, banging at my gate with over 40 policemen in four vans.


"They said they were arresting me over a petition but refused to clarify what the petition was about. I asked them why they didn’t simply issue an invitation, but they refused to explain. Why come to my house at such an odd hour? They claimed I was inciting people against the Abia airport project in Nsulu, but I had never received a police invitation. This is an infringement on my fundamental rights. It is unacceptable in a democracy.”


Despite his objections,  Nduaguibe, a former national deputy chairman of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN),  was  detained at the SCID in Umuahia. The police remained stationed outside his residence until about 10 am, drawing the attention of villagers who gathered in protest.


Nduaguibe suggested that the police action could be related to his recent public criticism of the government’s alleged plans to seize land in Nsulu for the airport project. However, he emphasized that while he had voiced concerns, he had not personally participated in any protests.


“Is it a crime to stand against the government’s plans to forcibly take my people’s land? I’ve not been seen protesting. This seems like an attempt to silence me, but I cannot be intimidated,” he said.


As of the time of the report, Nduaguibe remains in detention at the state CID in Umuahia, the Vanguard reports