President of Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Comrade Prince Kehinde Taiga, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to fish out and probe men of the Nigeria police force who reportedly shot and killed two police officers and three youths over land grabbing issues in Okpanam, a community in Oshimili North council area of Delta state.
In a voice message sent to journalists over the weekend, Taiga also called for the arrest and prosecution of one land grabber who was reportedly invited to fight for lands by one of his brothers in Issele Azagba, an agrarian community in Aniocha North local government area of Delta state.
In the note,Taiga alleged that the land is employing the services of police officers to harass and intimidate property owners in the area under dispute, hence depriving them of developing and taking possession of their properties.
He told this medium that two police officers were allegedly killed, another one was injured while three youths were also killed in the milee that arose in the battle for the ownership of the land under dispute.
One of the property owners in the area, Mr. Chinedu Ifuani, narrated his experience in the hands of the land grabber. Mr. Ifuani, an Okpanam community member, gave sordid details of his experience with the police who were allegedly acting under the instruction of the land grabber.
He also revealed the harrowing experience he passed through in the hands of Delta police officers with the objective of compelling him to abandon the land for the alleged land grabbers.
He said: “I was arrested at Cable Point in Asaba. I thought they were kidnappers. They tied my eyes with clothes. I was later carried to state CID office. I told them I’m a businessman from Okpanam. I have my factory where I do my business. I told them I’m not what they thought I am.
“They took me to anti-kidnap unit and gave me beatings, but I told them I do not know what they are talking about. They later locked me inside the cell in the anti-kidnap office.
“The summary of all that I went through is from the kand grabber who took contract from Issele Azagba people to fight for them. They promised him 85 acres of land, which he is claiming today. There are so many allegations against him, but Delta state police is allowing all this to go in vain.
“They forged my signature and statement. Every day, we report the matter to the police but they are keeping quiet, allowing him to intimidate us in our community. This matter is in the surveyor general’s office of Delta state.
“Last time we wanted to go to the bush, we found out that they buried charms everywhere so that we couldn’t enter the bush. We saw them. We are no longer safe in the hands of the police in Delta state. All they do is collect money and support all the evil that the land grabber is doing in our land.
Every day, they keep forging documents and consent judgment. All documents they are using are forged. No one they obtained through the right channel. We report all this to the police. They know the truth but they will not do anything. They will collect money and turn against us. This is what is going on in our community. We are no longer safe.
“The land in question belongs to Okpanam community in Oshimili North. The land is from our forefathers in Okpanam. They gave Issele Azagba where they are today. That is Amachai and Okpozoma. They are paying homage. Now that the land has turned to money, they forgot the relationship they had with our forefathers. The agreement is that they will not drag the land with us. They are from Aniocha North.”
Mr. Iyke Dike, a property owner in the area, also has an experience he narrated to Kehinde Taiga. According to him, one Emeka bought a parcel of land from Issele Azagba, who later discovered that Issele Azagba had running battle with Okpozoma, vowed to invite his brother to fight for them.
Dike revealed that at the commencement of the battle to claim the land from Okpozoma, a community in Okpanam, Issele Azagba promised to give Emeka’s btother land as compensation. He reportedly told them where he wanted to be given to him.
Dike further revealed that the land he requested had already been sold to Delta State House of assembly cooperative society. Hence, he demanded they relocate the cooperative to another area, a development the cooperative rejected.
Dike alleged that following their refusal to be relocated, the land grabber forcefully entered the land, removed all the beacons, and took charge. He said that was how the fight between Issele Azagba and Okpozoma started.
According to him, the land grabber did not buy land but he was invited to fight for Issele Azagba community.
He explained that he (Dike) bought a property from the Delta State House of assembly cooperative society, which he regularised with both Okpozoma and Issele Azagba communities.
He said he cleared the land, built the fence, and built a gatehouse. But on July 23, 2024 at 1 a.m, issues began to rise about the land. Reports filtered in that the fence he built behind wichtech along Benin Asaba expressway was being pulled down.
“I called my police officers, and we headed to the site. We called the community and Okpanam DPO. Getting to the site, we saw troops of CTU policemen with more than 10 vans pulling out. I got down from my car and asked questions but no one gave me any response.
“I saw the fence already brought down. I insisted the police won’t leave until they gave answers to my questions. One of the officers threatened to scatter me. The next thing I heard was a trigger that burst my tire. Another one was released again and one of my police officers was shot. With the help of the community people and Okpanam DPO, they were disarmed and arrested. In few days, they were released and all exhibits released without proper investigation by Delta state police command.
“They thereafter opened up that it was the same land grabber that sent them to carry out the operation. This, they have been doing around the areas, but nobody has been able to get them on site. They come around 12 midnight, 1am, 2am, carry out operations and leave.”
The CDHR president, Kehinde Taiga added: “All the matter we brought before the Delta state police were released without investigation. Several petitions written to the IGP ended at the IGP POS Cp Johnson who was former DC Ops in Delta state command.
“I am calling on the IGP to Direct CP Delta state to investigate the killing of the officers, the shooting, and the malicious damage to properties in the said land.”
