By Dave Okpogadie, Asaba
The youths of Achala-Igbuzor and Ezukwu of Igbuzor kingdom in Oshimili North LGA of Delta state have taken to the street to protest what they perceived as undue intimidation and harassment by men of the Delta State Police Command to forcibly take over their land.
The Youths in the course of the protest demanded that the police hand off their land and stop all forms of intimidation and arrest of their youths, adding that they were not willing to sell any part of their land because they needed it for farming to engage the youths.
Why speaking to newsmen at the occasion, the Youth President, Mr Momah Steven revealed that the Police was laying false claim to the land whereas the land was never acquired by them, saying not a dime compensation was given.
” The youths are aggrieved. We want to farm on our land. We are not lazy youths and we are ready to farm if they allow us to use our land.
If they take our land that simply means we are finished because it would amount to debasing us to strangers in our own land”.
The president also noted that the land has been lying fallow for about twenty years whereas there was no land for the youths to farm.
“They came to our community and met with our fathers that they wanted to buy land but nothing was paid and now we are saying we don’t want to sell again”.
He appealed to the appropriate authorities to address the issue before things get out of control saying the arrest and detention of the community youths must stop.
“Each time we raise our voice over the land matter, they go after us, arresting our Youths and detaining them. They have even arrested His Royal Eminence, Ikwele of Ibuzor Kingdom and this is a slap on Ibuzor people.
When they approached our fathers over this land that they wanted to build barrack, there was less population in this community. It turned out to be deception because, for about twenty years after, nothing was paid in form of compensation and the land is there wasting away even when we don’t have enough land for farming”.
The youths expressed their anger further, saying the land was their inheritance and if taken away from them, they would have no land again.
“We need our land, we want to build, we want to farm on our land. We are not selling again. We don’t want compensation.
Police is laying claim to over 60 hectares of land which our fathers did not give them. We don’t have such land to sell. One of our youths has been arrested and charged to court and initially all of us fled from the community when the police intimidation became unbearable until our fathers called us back because, according to them, they didn’t cede such land to police and they have not collected a dime from the police or anybody and as such we should stop running”.
Speaking in the same vein, an elderly member of the community, 82-years old Diokpa Paul Ijeh recalled that they were told police wanted to acquire the land but nothing concrete was done to acquire the said land.
Diokpa Ijeh, who claimed the land belong to him and his fore fathers, noted with regret that the land used to fetch him some money through leasing but presently, due to the police involvement he had been denied of such income.
Another elder who spoke to journalists, Diokpa Iwuanya Ogo remarked that they were deceived that the police wanted to build secondary school, university and many other facilities.
” Our people thought it would bring about development and there was no document signed it was a verbal discussion.
I was part of the team that went round to show them the land. After then we did not see them for a long time until one certain time they came to start work and we drove them away. It’s about twenty years now.
The youth president also revealed that the bulldozer that was hired to prepare part of the land for farming was seized and the operator arrested by policemen who claimed to be acting on the order of the Police Commissioner, CP Muhammed Ali
” Now they are holding him and threatening him to produce those of us that hired him. Police did not pay for the land and government has not paid anything. We are crying to the appropriate authority to release the bulldozer because we are paying close to two hundred thousand naira per day and it has been seized close to two weeks now”.
Another youth leader who spoke, Mr Lucky Abua, who expressed satisfaction over the peaceful nature the youths expressed themselves, urged the state and the federal governments to step up action to address the issue to avoid breakdown of law and order. He said the youths need their land because they need it for farming and other developmental purposes.
When contacted over the matter, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe declined comment on the ground that he needed to look into the issue property before he could make any comment.
Also when contacted, the Commissioner for Land and Survey, Hon. Kate Onianwa revealed that the state government did procure land for the state Police Command about twenty years ago, adding that though compensation had not been paid, preparations toward payment of compensation for the said land has reached advance stage.
