Anambra State Magistrate Court sitting in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government has sealed an MTN mast cutting off a densely populated area of Nkpor-Agu, a suburb of Onitsha, Anambra over right of possession.
The disconnection and sealing of the mast number T4141 located at number 17 Attah Road Amafor Village, Nkpor-Agu community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra has disrupted services to MTN consumers in the area.
Anambra State High Court in the Idemili Judicial Division Ogidi, presided over by Justice E. S. Nri-Ezedi had earlier in a judgment dated April 16, 2019 given Mr Shedrack Chukwurah, the plaintiff possession of the said land.
The plaintiff initiated a suit by a writ of summons dated April 5, 2018 which opened a legal tussle between him and MTN Nigeria Communication Limited, Int Towers Limited and Mrs Anna Chukwurah.
Nri-Ezedi stated that the plaintiff is the one entitled to the grant of statutory right of occupancy with respect to that piece and parcel of land known as and called number 17 Attah Road Amafor Village Nkpor-Agu in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Mr Donatus Ozoemenam, a bailiff from Magistrate Court, Ogidi sealed the facility on Monday, following an order of Magistrate’s Court in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area issued on July 24, 2020 warned against tampering the sealed facility.
Ozoemenam who used light red ribbon tired round the iron rod barricade protecting the mast to seal the place told people who gathered to have a glimpse at the action that nobody should tamper with the facility.
The enforcement team equally disconnected the electric generating set which provides power supply to the facility thereby making the mast non-functional for MTN customers residing and doing businesses around the area.
NAN reports that MTN Mast T4141 is erected near Immaculate Heart Catholic Mission, Nkpor-Agu, Cor Maria Secondary school, Urban Secondary, Nkpor Public Motor Park and Geolis Cable Industry among others.
Mr Shedrack Chukwurah who reacted to the sealing of the facility said, the management of Int Towers Limited and MTN Nigeria have intentional decided to be play politics with the provisions of court judgment on the matter.Before the judgment by His Lordship Nri-Ezedi, we had a consent settlement which preceded the court final judgment and the parties brought the agreement to court. It is surprising that rather than heed to the provisions of the judgment, the defendants now reneged on what they are expected to do and started playing hide and seek game,’’ he said.
Shedrack’s said that his late father gave the said land to him in the year 2003, before the father died in 2004, while MTN erected mast on the place in 2005.
The plaintiff regretted that the wife of his late brother Mrs Anna Chukwurah decided into lay claim to the property after the death of the husband, but expressed joy that court has finally unresolved the truth.
Miss Ijeoma Okoye, a customer to MTN appealed to the company to step up action towards resolving the dispute in order not to expose their customers in the area to disruption of services.
“This area is busy business area as you can see, even though we have other telecommunication networks, MTN is largely use by people here because it was the first company to erect mast around this area,’’ Okoye said.
