An activist, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, has dragged Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, and three others before the High Court of Anambra State, Awka Division, for embarking on a land document recertification and revalidation exercise in the State, outside the provisions of the Land Use Act, 1978.
In the legal proceedings that he initiated through an originating summons, Okonkwo alleged that conducting such an exercise against the provisions of a federal legislation, violated the 1999 Constitution of the Nigerian Federation (as amended).
According to him, the imposition/demand of N25, 000 land recertification/revalidation tax on Anambra land owners by the Soludo government, without an iota of authorization by the Land Use Act, constituted a mega financial fraud, and hence, should be investigated thoroughly by the Nigerian Police Force.
The plaintiff who deposed a 14-paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summons, alleged that the “illegal” land document recertification/revalidation exercise was deployed to corruptly enrich the budget for Governor Soludo’s re-election campaign, ahead of the forthcoming November 8, 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election.
The court papers obtained by our Correspondent, listed the Governor of Anambra State, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra State, his Lands, Survey and Urban Planning counterpart, and the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Police Command, as the 1st to 4th defendants respectively.
Recall that the Anambra State Government had in a public notice through the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Nkeiru Mokwe Esq., on behalf of the Commissioner, announced the commencement of the mandatory land recertification/Revalidation of all land title documents, including those of both State and Private Lands.
But Okonkwo in suit number A/23/2025, asked the court to interpret Sections 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 26, 46(1) AND 50(1) of the Land Use Act, 1978, regarding the powers of Anambra State Governor in relation to land.
He urged the court to determine whether the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants who purport to arrogate the powers of Recertification and Revalidation of all the title documents in Anambra State (State and Non-State Land) have shown to the satisfaction of the Court that the Land Use Act, 1978 clearly and specifically authorized their action.
