From our news desk, Benin
On behalf of the embattled people of Ologbo-nugu, a rural agro community in Orhionmwon local Government Area of Edo State, a group under the aegis of ‘Ologbo-nugu in the Diaspora’ have petitioned the State Government over alleged land seizure by a company said to have been aided by former governor Godwin Obaseki.
Lamenting their situation, the people appealed to the State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo to revoke what they termed: “illegal” Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) given to the company.
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In a petition by Eguaogie Erhahon on behalf of the group members and the entire people of Ologbo-nugu, and availed journalists in Benin, the Edo State Capital, they lament the situation has brought about untold hardship on them.
In the petition titled; ‘Land Grabbing in Edo State — A Cry for Justice and the Return of Our Lands‘ the group alleged; their farm lands were given to the company by the immediate past administration of Obaseki without consulting with the people of the community.
After the forced seizure of the lands, the company employed military personnel as guard over the entire space creating a high sense of fear in the minds of the inhabitants of the community.
“It is an injustice that endangers the very future and survival of our people”, they said.
“His administration aided the fraudulent allocation of vast farmlands belonging to our communities to private interests.
“These lands, which are the lifeblood of our farmers and the backbone of our people’s sustenance, were stolen, unlawfully taken without our consent, without due process, and without regard for our customs and rights.
“Rather, what we witnessed was a pattern of intimidation, threats, and coercive methods used to forcefully push us off our land.
The former governor allegedly “Our, is a stark testament to how far our country has fallen; an unsettling manifestation of the joke that Nigeria has become.
“Our people, men, women, and children, have been left helpless, stranded, and devastated. Communities have been torn apart, divided among themselves, factions created just to facilitate the theft of what we hold dear.
Allegedly, the former governor was the mastermind behind these acts.
“There are strong suspicions that he may own or have a stake in the companies involved in perpetuating this injustice.
“This is not just a land dispute; it is a betrayal of trust, a violation of our dignity, and an assault on our very existence.
“The way these lands were taken is nothing short of being oppressive and brutal. Our communities, the rightful owners of these lands, were neither duly consulted nor were they adequately compensated.
“Instead, armed persons and thugs backed by the government used force to bulldoze our crops, destroying homes, and ripping apart the livelihoods of innocent people. Our people’s hard work, their ancestral farms lands, their dreams obliterated in the blink of an eye.
“Beyond that, they have not been given any buffer zones for community farming, further crushing their ability to survive and provide for their families.
“Crops have been destroyed, dreams shattered, families displaced, and a tense, fearful atmosphere now hangs over our community. The faces of the children and the elderly haunted by the loss of their land and their future.
“Our community tried to fight back. On December 30th, 2024, we submitted a petition to the Attorney-General of Edo State, pouring out our pain, our desperation, and our plea for justice.
“We begged for intervention from His Excellency, Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo. But to this day, our land remains under siege.
“We are scared and devastated. We fear that if justice is not served, our people will be plunged into perpetual hunger, poverty, and despair.
“We call on the government to please do what is right. Revoke the illegitimate Certificate of Occupancy obtained through thuggery and violence under the former Administration.
“Return the land to its rightful owners. Hold accountable those who have betrayed us, and most urgently, compensate the victims, those who have lost everything, their homes, their farm crops, and their future.
“My people are not opposed to genuine, lawful investments. We welcome sincere partners who approach us with respect and fairness.
“But we cannot accept a government with guns invading our land, deciding our fate without our voice, and trampling on our dignity.
“This is a cry from the depths of our heart, a plea for justice, for compassion, for humanity.
“Our land, our heritage, our future depends on it. We beseech the authorities to act swiftly, to hear our pain, and to restore our dignity before it is too late”.
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