The Enugu State Government has strongly condemned and rebutted an allegation of land grabbing against its officials by Sahara Reporters, an online platform.
The government clarified that the 14 July 2026 report relates to the New Enugu Smart City and Coal City Eastern Alliance Estate, maintaining that a diligent inquiry could have laid the facts of the matter bare.
The online newspaper report had named the current Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia; former Commissioner for Housing, Martins Chukwunweike; former General Manager of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Gerald Asogwa; and a former Legal Adviser to the Governor, Osinachi Nnajieze, as alleged beneficial shareholders in the Coal City Eastern Alliance Limited, claiming that the state government acquired community and individuals’ lands and transferred the same to the company, which it described as a private firm.
However, a rebuttal issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malachy Agbo, on Wednesday, absolved the government and its officials of any wrongdoings, noting that the named entities were Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), which are international best practices for floating corporate entities to protect government’s interests.
