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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The people of Ajaji community in Illah, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State have raised alarm over alleged forceful take-over of 533.97 hectares of their ancestral land by an apro-allied company.
They claimed that they were now living in perpetual fear, alleging that the company deployed soldiers to intimidate and arrest them if they ever stepped their feet on the controversial land.
At the last count, the community claimed that 12 farmers were arrested at Ngegwu, one of the community’s farm settlements.
In a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the people decried the grave injustice allegedly being meted out on them “by the combined forces of the state government and the company aided and abetted by soldiers.”
The letter which was signed by the Diokpa of the community, Francis Chukwurah, said while the trespassed land was still being disputed at the court, the immediate past administration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa issued a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to the company.
“We wonder how the state government could issue (C of O) to a private company in respect of an ancestral land of a community when their trespass on that land is a subject of litigation still pending in court,” it stated.
It added that the government went ahead to gazette “this illegality” which officials of the company brandished at the state Criminal Investigation Department when both parties appeared before the police.
It recalled that following initial moves for an out-of-court settlement, the chairman of the steering committee on the matter and now Secretary to State Government, Kingsley Emu, had served draft copies of Memorandum of Understanding, Terms of Settlement and Deeds of Lease prepared by the then Attorney-General of the state.
The letter regrettably added that none of the documents has been executed till date in addition to the breaches of some of the initial agreements.
As a result, the community appealed to Governor Oborevwori to direct the company and their accomplices to allow farmers continue their legitimate farming business without fear of arrest, urging him to prevail on the military authorities to stop deploying soldiers to the area.
They urged the governor not to ignore their cry for justice by succumbing to any entreaty or advice by any of his officials no matter how highly placed.
