Land tussle: Edo community raises alarm over arrest of members

Residents of Iviukwe community in Etsako East LGA of Edo State have called on Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, to intervene in the alleged harassment, arrest and detention of six community members by the police over the sale of the community’s ancestral land.

Addressing journalists in Benin on behalf of the sons and daughters of the community yesterday, Comrade Okpame Ozekhome said Chief Mike Ozekhome and the Okumagbe of Uvhano, George Oshiapi, were behind their arrest.

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Comrade Ozekhome said the arrest was to suppress the community members and prevent them from asking questions about the selling of the community’s ancestral land of 5,000 hectares in 2013 for the construction of a fertiliser company.

He said, “For one week now there has been harassment, arrest and detention of community members over false allegation of inciting violence in the community and resisting arrest.

“Among those arrested are Chief Francis Ozekhome, including his two sons; the community’s chairman, whose legs were tied and handcuffed as revealed in a viral video, among others.”

Responding, Mike Ozekhome described the allegations as baseless and without element of truth.

Ozekhome said, “Nothing like that ever happened. Dangote only paid the villagers for the destroyed economic trees when they did preliminary excavator works on a part of Iviukwe lands for a proposed fertiliser project before they suddenly abandoned it and packed their machines and left for Ondo where they commenced fresh work.

“When the victims of the mayhem and destruction reported to the Agenebode Police Division and the Area Command at Agenebode, they instigated some youths who went about and viciously attacked the police, damaging their vehicles.”

On his part, the Okumagbe denied the allegations, saying he had nothing to do with those arrested.

He said the issue of land sold to Dangote had nothing to do with the arrest as the negotiation was done during Adams Oshiomole’s tenure as governor and that enumeration of economic crops was done while the people were duly paid compensation.

The state command’s spokesperson, Kontongs Bello, said those arrested was as a result of the attack on the police while they were on on-the-spot assessment following a petition by a member of the community over destruction of property.