Residents of Iviukwe community in Etsako East, Edo State, have called on Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali, to intervene in the alleged harassment and detention of community members by the police over the sale of community land.
Addressing journalists in Benin on Thursday on behalf of the community, a resident, Okpame Ozekhome, accused a lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, and the Okumagbe of Uvhano, George Oshiapi, of instigating the arrest to stop community members from asking questions about the sale of 5,000 hectares of land to Dangote in 2013 for the construction of a fertiliser company.
He said, “For one week now, there have been harassment, arrest and detention of community members over false allegations of inciting violence in the community and resisting arrest.
“Among those arrested were Chief Francis Ozekhome, including his two sons, and the community chairman, whose legs were tied and handcuffed in a viral video by police officers.”
According to him, community members are being harassed and arrested for asking questions about their sold ancestral land and insisting that tradition and due process be followed in installing the community head after the death of the village head.
Responding, Mike described the allegations as baseless and untrue.
He said, “The people are out to destroy my reputation despite everything I have done for them. The land they alleged was sold to Dangote is intact and owned by the same indigenes who are farming on the land. The Edo Geographical Information Service has also denied knowledge of the C-of-O belonging to Dangote.
“Nothing like that ever happened. Dangote only paid the villagers for destroyed economic trees when they did preliminary excavation works on a part of Iviukwe land on a proposed fertiliser project before they suddenly abandoned it, packed their machines and left for Ondo, where they commenced fresh works.
“When the victims of their mayhem and destruction reported to the Agenebode Divisional Police and Area Command at Agenebode, they instigated some youths who viciously attacked the police and damaged their vehicles.”
Oshiapi also 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 the tenure of former Governor Adams Oshiomole, adding that enumeration of economic crops was done and the people were duly compensated.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Kontongs Bello, said the police arrested some suspects over an attack on the police after a petition by a member of the community on the destruction of his property.
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