The Media Workers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (MPCS) has called on the Delta State Government to urgently intervene in what it describes as the alleged illegal takeover of its 28-acre estate at Iyada Family Land, Issele-Azagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area, accusing the Cubana Millennium City Group of encroaching on the property.
The cooperative society also appealed to the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the judiciary to take immediate steps to prevent a breakdown of law and order, insisting that the disputed land was lawfully acquired over a decade ago.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Asaba, President of the Cooperative, Comrade Vincent Maduka, said members purchased the land from Surveyor Titus Ayuba about eleven years ago and subsequently carried out a survey which was lodged with the Delta State Ministry of Lands and Survey.
Maduka explained that the estate remained free from ownership disputes until a boundary disagreement emerged about three years ago between Ogbeozoma Quarters in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area, and Issele-Azagba in Aniocha North. He noted that the Delta State Government eventually resolved the dispute and restored the original boundary between the two communities.
He said members visited the estate in January this year to rehabilitate internal roads but were stunned in May to learn that heavy construction equipment had moved onto the property. According to him, a delegation sent to the site was informed by machine operators that they were working for the Cubana Millennium City Group owned by businessman ,Obi Cubana.
Maduka alleged that the company had destroyed the cooperative’s signposts, survey beacons, fences, economic trees and other physical landmarks on the estate, describing the development as a violation of the property rights of members, many of whom are retired civil and public servants who invested their life savings in acquiring the land.
He maintained that the cooperative holds valid title to the property and called on the state government to compel the Cubana Group to suspend all activities on the land pending the resolution of the dispute.
The cooperative president disclosed that in a bid to avoid litigation, the society wrote to the Cubana Group on June 29, 2026, requesting dialogue and giving the company 14 days to respond. He said a follow-up reminder dated July 15 granted an additional seven days, but neither letter had received a response.
He stated, “Why we called for this press briefing is to tell the world, especially Nigerians, what is happening regarding the parcel of land which we validly acquired from its legitimate owner(s) more than 10 years before Obi Cubana came into the picture,
“That the Cubana Millennium City group is attempting to illegally dispossess members of the Media Workers MPCS of the land they duly and legitimately acquired from Surveyor Titus Ayuba. This is anachronistic, unfair, laughable and absolutely unacceptable,
“The land in question was sold to the members of the Media Workers MPCS, who paid instalmentally for over 4 years from their hard-earned money to make sure that they owned land and inheritance they can pass over to their children in the event that they are unable to build,
“Cubana Millennium City has seriously breached and trampled on our fundamental human rights concerning a land that was legitimately acquired with a valid title and ownership.
“We are making it clear to Obi Cubana to vacate the land, come forward for meaningful talks, strike a mutually- beneficial deal with us and pay commensurate damages for the damage his actions have caused land owners, some of who are retired civil and public servants, who sacrificed much to raise the funds with which they paid for their parts of the land in question,
“We are calling on the state government to call him to order. We are also notifying the Nigeria Police Force [NPF], the Department of State Services [DSS], and the Judiciary to take note,
“We believe this matter can be resolved through dialogue and the rule of law. The cooperative society will continue to pursue all lawful means to protect the interests of its members and preserve the legitimate investment of its members “
Another member of the Media Workers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, a former Treasurer and one of its founders, Mr. Onyiah Ikechukwu, said members of the society had given the leadership a mandate on the way forward.
According to him, the mandate includes bringing the matter to the attention of key stakeholders, including the media and the Delta State Government.
He maintained that the society possesses all the legal documents affirming its ownership of the disputed land.
Mr. Onyiah said the cooperative society did not sell the land to Cubana Millennium City Group, insisting that no such transaction ever took place.
In a remark, Chairman of the Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Churchill Oyowe, called on the Delta State Government to urgently intervene in the alleged land dispute involving the Media Workers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society.
Comrade Oyowe said the union expects the cooperative to formally petition Governor Sheriff Oborevwori over the matter, with copies sent to the Ministry of Lands and Surveys, the Office of the Accountant-General, and other relevant government agencies for prompt action.
He condemned the alleged practice of multiple sales and questionable registration of land, describing it as a disturbing trend that must be decisively addressed to restore confidence in land administration.
The NUJ chairman urged the Ministry of Lands and Surveys to strengthen due diligence in processing land transactions, stressing that such measures are necessary to curb the activities of land grabbers and protect law-abiding citizens, particularly the less privileged, from being dispossessed of their legitimate property.
Oyowe further emphasized that transparent and accountable land administration is essential to safeguarding property rights and preventing avoidable disputes across the state.
Responding to the alleged land encroachment, Secretary at the Cubana Millennium City Office in Asaba, Vivian Chikelu appealed to the aggrieved media workers multi purpose cooperative society to exercise patience, admitting that the office is yet to get the attention of Obi Cubana over the land disputes as he traveled outside the country.
