State High court sitting at Aba which barred him from further
demolishing a shopping plaza with over 80 shops at No.31/32 Ngwa road,
Aba.
Madubuike, who is the Managing Director of Unimass Nigeria Limited,
located at No.157 Hospital road, Aba, was alleged to have stormed the
shopping plaza also known as Dandico plaza, on October 5, 2018, with
thugs which demolished part of the shopping plaza; claiming that he
bought the property from the owner, D.D. Onyemelukwe Estates Limited.
The thugs were said to have destroyed and carted away traders’ goods
worth millions of Naira.
He was alleged to have bought the property from Onyemelukwe’s last son,
even as his siblings insist the shopping plaza is not for sale and
offered to refund his money.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Madubuike has engaged policemen and
thugs and continued harassing and detaining the innocent traders.
Madubuike was also alleged to have on August 11, 2020, made another
attempt where he further demolished the property when he invaded the
area with a bulldozer and Aro cult boys who looted the traders’ wares.
Angered by Madubuike’s actions, the tenants filed a suit at the High
Court, Aba, in Suit No: A/190/2018, Eugene Obiesili & Ors vs Mr. Ikenna
Madubuike.
When the matter came up for mention on August 12, 2020, Justice Innocent
Nwabughiogu, ordered the parties to maintain status quo pending the
determination of the suit.
“It is hereby ordered that the parties in the suit (claimants and
defendants) are hereby restrained from further demolition of the shops
at N0.31/32 Ngwa road, Aba, otherwise known as Dandico plaza pending the
determination of the motion on notice,” the Judge ruled.
However, Madubuike had defied the order of the court restraining him
from the further demotion of the property and harassing the traders.
Three days after the court order, Madubuike engaged the zone 9 police
command, Umuahia and arrested most of the traders who were freed after
paying N30, 000 each. He accused the traders of trespassing on his
property.
Chairman of the traders’ union, Mr. Eugene Obiesile, stated that the
Directors of the company, D.D. Onyemelukwe, Estates Limited, wrote them
that the property is still in the company’s name and not for sale to
anybody.
He said; “We, the traders are left without any means of income. Our
goods looted, cash robbed and shops demolished while the perpetrator of
these acts move freely, going about his daily business and boasting that
nobody can dare him. He continued to harass the poor traders and
disregarding court orders. We have been paying rent to the company. The
Directors of the company had issued letters to us, the tenants that the
property is still the company’s property and not for sale to anybody. We
still pay rent to the landlord. But Madubike is still insisting that the
property belongs to him. All we have told him is to allow the traders to
operate until the court determines the owner of the property. He is not
prepared not to submit to the court.
“He has been threatening with thugs and policemen that nobody can
challenge him or bring him to justice, that he has money to buy the
police and other security agencies.”