The Imo State Government has formally revoked rights of occupancy over several parcels of land, including the Old Timber Market area, as part of a public interest acquisition published in the Imo State Official Gazette.
The revocation is contained in Imo State Official Gazette No. 17, Volume 50, published on June 4, 2026, under I.S.L.N. No. 6 of 2026, titled Revocation Order of Rights of Occupancy Order, 2026.
According to the public notice, The Executive Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma exercised the powers conferred on him by Section 28 of the Land Use Act (formerly Land Use Decree No. 6 of 1978) to revoke all statutory and customary rights of occupancy over the affected properties.
The order states that it takes immediate effect and revokes all statutory or customary certificates of occupancy, leases, licences, allocations, deeds of assignment, subleases, letters of offer, and any other interests previously granted over the designated land.
The government further declared that all statutory and customary rights over the affected parcels have been determined, noting that the land is required for an overriding public purpose in line with Sections 5 and 8 of the Land Use Act.
The schedule attached to the gazette identifies the affected properties as Plots 89 to 117 located within the Umuoyima South Residential Pocket Layout, Owerri (formerly Ogboosisi), an area widely known as the Old Timber Market.
Specifically, the affected plots include 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116 and 117.
The gazette states that any special contracts previously entered into by the Imo State Government over the affected land, including statutory certificates of occupancy, deeds of assignment, subleases, allocation letters, letters of offer, or any other contractual interests created pursuant to the Land Use Act, have also been revoked.
The publication, issued by authority of the Imo State Government, serves as the official legal notice of the revocation and signals the commencement of the government’s acquisition process for the affected properties.
