Land Grabbing: Victim Recounts Ordeal, Appeals To Govt, Benin Monarch

THE major reason for communal crisis in Edo State, particularly across the seven local government areas of Edo South is land grabbing. 

Despite the ban on Community Development Association (CAD), some youths who still hide under the aegis of CDAs allegedly took over lands in most of the Bini communities, in the process intimidatively chased out those who genuinely acquire theirs, grabbed the land for possible of reselling.

Besides, in some communities, youths who believed they are more powerful often times messed up their buyers who earlier purchased landed property from their communities. 

One of such instances was the case of the president of Edo Indigenous Movement (EIM) worldwide, Chief Dr. Bishop J. O. E. Edokpolo, who in 2012 bought ten and Four plots of landed properties, respectively in Uhunkire-Agu-Uwagboe community in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.

The deed of seal in which the sellers, one on Robinson and Monday Uwagboe and Robinson Aiweghian appended their signatures was reached as sellers and witnesses.

"Barely ten years after the transaction l, the EIM president recently visited the site only to be attacked by youths of Amagba community who claimed that the land to Amagba community and not Omokhiri-Uwagboe".

Addressing journalists further on the matter, Bishop Edokpolo said as a promoter of peace and youth empowerment initiative for Edo youths,  the need for him to clear the air on the purported claim by the youth of Amagba as regards ownership of the disputed land became imperative. 

According to him, he bought the said land in 2012 from one Monday Uwagboe, adding that the same Uwagboe later in the following years encroached on the land and started reselling in the land. 

He said he reporter the matter to the then CDA chairman of Amagba community popularly known as Ebo Amagba who meditated over the issue, even as he Ebo Amagba) faulted Uwagboe's reckless activities. 

He stated further that he had not visited the site for a long time because the matter has been won in court by Agu-Uwagboe people on two occasions, couple with Arase committee verdict in favor of Agu-Uwagboe against Amagaba Community and one case is still pending at the court until recently when he visited the property only to be told that the same Ebo Amagba who mediated over the matter about nine years ago was the one who resold the land to a new occupant. 

To clarify the authenticity of how he purchased the land, the land documents, including a video clip indicating evidence of Mr Robinson and Monday Uwagboe appending their signatures were presented.

Asserting that other poor innocent people were also suffering from the menacing activities of land grabbers in Edo South, the EPIA/EIM President appealed to the Edo state government, HRM Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin as well as other traditional rulers for their interventions, not only to his aid but to help curtail the menacing activities of land grabbing in the state.