SaharaReporters reported on November 14, 2023, that Nigeria's secret Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army are currently investigating the activities of one ‘Captain’ Okechukwu Ayogu of the Hymac Real Limited, who has been reportedly impersonating a military officer and using soldiers to terrorise residents of Enugu State.
The Managing Director, HYMAC REAL LTD, Mr Okechukwu Ayogu has written SaharaReporters, explaining his side to allegations that he used personnel of the Nigerian Army to intimidate and destroy people's property in Enugu State.
SaharaReporters reported on November 14, 2023, that Nigeria's secret Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army are currently investigating the activities of one ‘Captain’ Okechukwu Ayogu of the Hymac Real Limited, who has been reportedly impersonating a military officer and using soldiers to terrorise residents of Enugu State.
But Ayogu in a rebuttal letter from the Chamber of Festus Keyamo signed by Sopuruchukwu J. Uzoigwe Esq and Terfa Mark Anata Esq respectively also denied that he was not under investigation in whatsoever form from either the Nigerian Army or the Department of the State Services (DSS).
He further dissociated himself from the destruction of people's property in any capacity including the billboards within the military barracks.
In the letter addressed to SaharaReporters dated November 20, 2023 and "Re: NIGERIAN ARMY, SECRET POLICE, DSS INVESTIGATE HYMAC REAL ID OVER ALLEGED IMPERSONATION OF MILITARY OFFICER TO TERRORIZE, DEFRAUD ENUGU RESIDENTS, DESTROY PROPERTIES," Ayogu set his own records straight on the sundry allegations.
In the rebuttal, he noted that "Sometime in 2021, some notorious land grabbers led by Mr Ezugwu a retired Assistant Comptroller of Immigration and Mr Tochukwu Nzekwe alias Toshel acting on the order of some powerful people in Enugu State Government invaded different properties owned and being developed by HYMAC REAL LTD.
"The reason for the malicious usurpation of those properties was on the ground that our client's Managing Director, Hon. Okey Ayogu refused to surrender his ancestral land to shadow companies belonging to those powerful politicians. They invaded Plot P/23C Independence Layout and subdivided the plot of land measuring 6602 square meters amongst themselves using some professional organizations for a cover.
"They placed armed men on the said Plot P/23C to kill our client's Managing Director and any staff of HYMAC REAL LTD that dares to come near the property. The people equally sent Enugu State Housing Development Corporations to invade and seize 82 hectares of land belonging to Hyfield and Allied Associates Ltd another Company where Hon. Ayogu owns a majority share. These were regardless of the fact that HYMAC was duly allocated plot P/23C and had paid all necessary fees upon which the Government of Enugu State had granted a Certificate of Occupancy to it for the land and Hyfield had equally registered its Deed of Lease and Irrevocable Power of Attorney on the 8.2 hectares at Enugu Land Registry in the Ministry of Land."
He noted that following the development, his company, HYMAC instructed its Lawyer to petition the Inspector General of Police to investigate a case of criminal trespass malicious damage against Mr. Ezugwu and Co., and the Police wrote a letter of inquiry to the Ministry of Lands, to which they replied that the land belongs to HYMAC REAL LTD and supplied to Police the certified true copies of all the documents of title and root of title of Plot P/23C.
However, efforts made by Police to arrest those land grabbers and their armed cultists were thwarted by those powerful politicians and Hon Justice Hyacintha Ezuowu (the wife of Mr. Ezugwu) who is a wife of Mr. Ezugwu) who is a serving Judge with the Enugu State High Court as they would call the Police and get the armed cultists released HYMAC took the matter to court to seek redress in 2021."
He added that in 2021, high-ranking officials of the Ministry of the Lands were summoned to the Enugu Government House where they were directed to go and falsify documents to enable those land grabbers led by Mr. Ezugwu to have something to present before the court, claiming that it was based on the fact they refused to falsify documents in favour of his so-called land grabbers that former Governor Ugwuanyi sent the Head of Service to the Ministry of Lands to effect punitive posting of all the Directors.
He further noted that the transfer of the officials led the former Commissioner for Land and Urban Development, Dr Victor Nnam, to resign in protest.
"Hon. Justice C. C. ANI who was hearing the matter was transferred to Nsukka allegedly for insisting on the justice of the matter. On the 82 hectares, Hyfield equally went to court to challenge the illegal takeover of its property.
"However, the administration of Dr Peter Mbah decided to look into the cases of land grabbing in Enugu State by powerful forces, and HYMAC and Hyfield properties were equally presented to his administration for redress of the witch-hunt they have suffered," he added that the government subsequently restored his property.
Ayogu also through his lawyers said the Governor Peter Mbah-led Enugu State Government ordered "the State Capital Territory Development Authority in a letter dated 14th of July 2023 to remove the illegal structure Mr Ezugwu built on the Plot P/23C and equally directed the Enugu State Housing Development Corporations on the 18th of July, to restore the 8.2 hectares belonging to Hyfield with immediate effect.
The Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority and Enugu State Housing Development Corporation carried out the Governor's directives."
Insisting that he was not under investigation by any security agencies in the country, he stated "HYMAC's Managing Director is not in any way involved in the destruction of people's property in any capacity. On the billboards within the military barracks, Hon Ayogu being a private citizen doesn't determine what happens in the barracks.
"When one Mr. Steve Nwachinemere a supposed operative of DSS, acting in collaboration with Messrs, Emeka Eze, Tochukwu Nzekwe, and Mr. Ezugwu called Hon. Ayogu and threatened to use the power of his office (DSS) to destroy him and his company over certain billboards, Hon. Ayogu quickly informed the said Mr. Steve that he was nowhere near the barracks and that whatever inquiry Mr. Steve wants to make should be directed to the Nigerian Army.
"This threat by Mr. Steve was reported to the State Director of DSS by the Deputy Director of Operations of DSS, Mr. James Chukwudi who received a complaint of the incident from Hon. Ayogu, the State Director quickly apologized to Hon. Ayogu over the unauthorized call and threat by Mr. Steve and exonerated the authority of her office from illegal action of the operative. Hon. Ayogu is not under any investigation by the DSS or the Army and has not been invited for any investigation purpose," the letter asserted.
On the man defrauded of N50 million, Ayogu noted that sometime in October 2020, one Nebo Kingsley and his company Bishtech Consult Ltd, were introduced to "HYMAC REAL LTD as a real estate developer that wanted to buy 50 plots of land at the sum of N200 million and an agreement was reached to the effect.
According to the letter, the money was to be paid in four installments. "However, after the first payment he was arrested by EFCC (Economic Financial Crimes Commission) on alleged fraud, he was alleged to have duped some members of the public over three billion nairas and afterward, one Dare, an official of the EFCC invited the Managing Director of HYMAC to explain how proceeds of Mr. Kingsley's fraud was traced to the company's account.
"HYMAC's MD presented the sales agreement and explained that Mr. Kingsley represented himself as a developer, but unknown to HYMAC that he was a fraudster until his arrest and that the property is still with us. The EFCC therefore directed him not to release the land until the full conclusion of their investigation," the letter added, claiming investigation against Mr. Kingsley was still ongoing.
He added that when Nebo Kingsley began to constantly harass him, "HYMAC on 5 of October 2022 caused its Lawyer to write EFCC to find out if it had concluded its investigation," a letter which was never replied to and thereafter he sued him.
When SaharaReporters reached Nebo Kingsley for a reaction to the allegation that EFCC arrested him for being a fraudster, he denied it.
"As an innocent victim," Nebo said adding, "I have suffered immensely as a result of Mr Ayogu's deceitful actions. It all began when he approached me with what seemed like a promising business opportunity. He offered to sell me 50 plots of land, and being a reputable businessman, I saw it as a chance to expand my operations. I trusted him with my hard-earned money, and I made a payment for 12 plots upfront before everything backfired."