Fear has spread among residents of the high-profile Hill View Housing Estate, Nkwele Ezunaka, in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, following ongoing activities by the host community to re-channel major rivers around the estate.
Residents fear that the actions could expose the estate to severe flooding during the approaching rainy season if the current channelisation of the Ezu and Oja rivers continues unchecked.
Hill View Housing Estate, widely regarded as the largest and one of the most prominent estates in Anambra State, was acquired in 2005 and developed by a private property developer, Master Holdings. The estate is reported to be about 95 per cent completed and already houses a large number of residents.
Despite the near completion of the project, the host community has reportedly embarked on re-channeling the rivers in the area, allegedly to reclaim land and create additional plots close to existing residential buildings. The development has raised serious environmental and safety concerns among estate occupants and government officials.
According to findings, the host community had earlier received compensation and parcels of land following the acquisition of the estate land. However, residents and officials expressed surprise that members of the community are now redirecting the natural flow of the rivers in ways that threaten existing structures.
In the course of the exercise, some perimeter fences have reportedly been pulled down, making it difficult for residents to access their homes. In certain areas, drainage paths have also been altered, raising fears that floodwaters could be redirected into residential zones once the rains begin.
Although the community had previously applied for a boundary adjustment through legal representation, the Anambra State Government, acting through the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation, had advised the community to wait until the private developer completed work on the estate.
Despite this directive, the community reportedly proceeded with the river re-channeling activities, prompting concern from both residents and state authorities.
The Managing Director of the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation, Chief Chike Anyaonu, described the development as illegal and questioned why the host community would carry out such actions in defiance of government instructions.
While conducting journalists around the estate, Anyaonu ordered an immediate halt to all ongoing works related to the re-channeling of the rivers.
He said the state government was in the process of taking over the management of the estate once the development partner formally signs off, adding that several unresolved issues had already complicated the project.
According to him, activities by some members of the host community are capable of damaging the estate’s ecosystem, particularly through the alteration of the drainage system linked to the Ezu and Oja rivers.
Anyaonu explained that the government has directed that no further work should take place in the area until all outstanding issues are fully resolved.
He noted that the state government plans to establish key social infrastructure within the estate, including playgrounds, hospitals and schools, warning that the current actions by the host community could disrupt these plans.
He also highlighted the state government’s broader social investment programmes, including free education up to senior secondary level under the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, stressing that children living in the estate stand to benefit from such policies.
A member of the Eziubulu family, identified as the original owners of the land, stated that the current activities by the host community were outside the portion of land officially acquired by the government for the estate.
The family representative, however, assured that all actions would be suspended pending the resolution of issues with the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation.
Residents of Hill View Housing Estate have expressed growing anxiety over the situation, calling on the state government to urgently enforce its directive and protect the estate from environmental risks.
They warned that continued interference with the natural flow of the rivers could result in large-scale flooding, property damage and displacement of families if preventive action is not taken before the peak of the rainy season.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities say discussions are ongoing to resolve the dispute and ensure that the integrity and safety of the estate are preserved.
