Tensions have risen in Benin, Edo State capital after the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led state government demolished over 100 buildings in Irhirihi, Arougba, Obazagbon and Ogheghe communities, in an alleged “reclamation of land” belonging to the government.
In a statement on Monday, the Edo State All Progressives Congress party (APC) has accused the PDP-led government saying it has only seized on abuse of power to victimize lawful residents of the state.
The APC’s statement, through its chairman, Col. David Imuse (retd.), accused the state government of hiding under the guise of building a new town to take over the area.
The party also faulted the state government’s claim that the area had over the years been acquired by the government and known as Ogba Forest Reserve, but still went ahead to issue a Certificate of Occupancy to genuine buyers.
He said, “As a party, we condemn in strong terms these illegal demolitions by the jittery and rudderless PDP-led administration in the state. We see this policy of regularly demolishing public and private properties by the Obaseki-led government as irrational, evil and undemocratic.
“Before this land was forcefully acquired by the same government in 2017, it was the world-renowned Ogba River Forest Reserve, which successive governments before Obaseki used for reforestation purposes.”
Read also: NDLEA bust Lekki mansion warehousing 13 million Tramadol pills
However, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, has lambasted the APC state chapter for faulting the government’s determination to end land-grabbing in the state.
He noted that the party and its leaders were afraid because they were the main culprits in the illegal enterprise and were scared that they would be caught in the web as the exercise progresses.
He said, “The APC in the state is jittery over the determination of Governor Obaseki to end land-grabbing in Edo, because they are the land-grabbers.
“The party and its leaders are throwing tantrums today over the repossession exercise in Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road because while they held office, the APC and its chieftains promoted the appropriation of community land with the use of non-state actors and overlords, who in the run-up to the Edo State governorship election in 2020 were popularly known as lions and tigers.
“Obaseki parted ways with the APC, chiefly due to such ideological differences.”
Governor Obaseki ordered the demolition of these houses to reclaim 1,229 hectares of land meant for the development of a new town project in the city.
The demolition happened barely 24 hours after the government declared a 24-hour curfew in Ihhiri-Obazagbon-Ogheghe, Benin.
Meanwhile, Justice Veestee Eboreime had, on August 4, 2022, ruled in favor of elders and leaders of Oke-Oroma community and restrained the Edo Governor from further trespassing on, bulldozing or developing the land in dispute situate and lying at Oke-Oroma Village, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, Edo State with an area of 714.750 hectares or doing anything whatsoever on the land in dispute that is inconsistent with the rights of Claimants/Applicants pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
Justice Veestee made this ruling in a Suit filed by Gaius Emokpae and five others, where he granted an Interlocutory Injunction restraining the defendants/Respondents, their servants, agents and/or privies from taking possession of the land situate and lying at Oke-Oroma Village.
The defendants in the suit were; Edo State Governor, the Attorney-General and the Edo State Geographic Information Service.
Reacting to the governor’s defiance to the court order, the Oke-Aroma elders threatened to file contempt proceedings against the Edo Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Iyamu.
Leave a Reply