By Tobe Momah

My late father, Major Gen. Sam Momah (rtd), died on July 29th 2020 and left me a piece of property in the Eme Court GRA area of Umudium, Nnewi, Anambra State in Nigeria. After years of trying to develop it, I left it partly fenced secondary to persistent squabbles by the nearby customary court officials who claimed the land was originally theirs and should not have been sold in 1997.

It was, therefore, a shock to hear from local witnesses on Tuesday, June 9th 2026, that some officials had forcefully taken over this property, amidst others, and pulled down the gates and walls erected by my late father. They, also, designated the property (and the surrounding lands) site for the next Solution city – an entertainment hub designed with the citizens of Nnewi in mind.

For those who are familiar with the Biblical story of King Ahab, there are some unmistakable corollaries here. Ahab, like King Soludo, wanted the vineyard of Naboth as a playground for his (political) family. A garden of herbs was what Ahab called it (1 Kings 21:2), but to Naboth that vineyard was the inheritance of his fathers (1 King 21:3) and so unsellable.

It was not the economic value of the property, or its vantage position (besides the King’s palace) that made Naboth obstinate in his reluctance to sell or give up his choice property for bigger and better vineyards elsewhere (as offered by King Ahab in 1 Kings 21:2b). Rather, it was the emotional and familial ties the vineyard offered that compelled him to keep it in his family for future generations.

Like Naboth, I have a long history of genealogies that have toiled the vineyards of Nnewi and will not back down or give up on this Eme Court property that was bequeathed to me. It is an heirloom, and was passed to me by my late father with the intention of sustaining his legacy, and passing it on to my children’s children (Proverbs 13:22).

Government should be aware that I will not back down and I will not quit on my father’s patrimony. Like Naboth, I will not give up on my father’s property no matter whose Ox is gored. If His Excellency wants to negotiate with us – the owners of the Eme Court road GRA property -, it will be more civil to call a meeting and discuss your intentions rather than bulldoze your way into land you or the State do not own.

For the sake of the records, I recently renewed my certification of occupancy (in February 2025) with the Anambra State Ministry of Lands just to ensure I was compliant with the newly required Anambra Survey seismic data collation protocols (see attached). It was therefore a huge disappointment that, in spite all the actions taken, your government still deemed it fit to forcefully repossess my property.

Naboth eventually was killed (without due process) by the gulags of Queen Jezebel, and King Ahab got the vineyard of Naboth he so desperately wanted. The repercussions, however, never departed from his life and his families lives, as God cursed them summarily (see 1 Kings 21:20-24) as a result.

I would, therefore, like to serve notice on the state government that I will not be a person to be intimidated, vilified, or run off by threats from my legally acquired property. It was paternally bequeathed to me, and I intend to use it as a future place of residence in Nnewi. I know the God who fights for the widow and the fatherless will fight for me, and I am confident my Eme Court road property will be a legacy I can transfer to the next generations of Momahs.’ So help me God.

*Momah is Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA