By Nike Ozioma
The Issele-Azagba community in Delta State has appealed to the state government to urgently intervene following allegations that Cubana Group has moved heavy-duty equipment onto a disputed 1.3-kilometre stretch of ancestral land, despite an existing directive instructing all parties to maintain status quo.
During a press briefing on Monday, community leaders expressed concern that the investor had accessed and bulldozed farmlands on the land under investigation by the Delta State Boundary Adjustment Committee, even as both Issele-Azagba and Okpanam communities were instructed to stay off the area pending the committee’s findings.
The committee, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, had on October 10, 2025, directed both communities to suspend all activities on the land while the boundary issue was being thoroughly examined. Issele-Azagba leaders said they fully complied with the order.
Elder Patrick Isichei, President-General of the Issele-Azagba Development Union, said the community was taken aback when it discovered that Cubana Group had entered the land and begun clearing it, allegedly with an application for a Certificate of Occupancy bearing the name of the Okpanam community.
“We honoured the government’s directive completely, only to discover that heavy construction machinery had moved into the same land we were instructed to avoid,” Elder Isichei said. He added that the community wrote a protest letter to the Deputy Governor but had not yet received a reply.
Also speaking, the Union’s spokesperson, Hon. Augustine Azubuike Ijeh, described the situation as worrisome, alleging that neighbouring Ogbadogba and Amachi quarters of Okpanam had continued to sell portions of the disputed land while Issele-Azagba maintained peace in line with the government’s order.
According to him, the Issele-Azagba community has historical claims supported by documented evidence of past concessions sought by neighbouring communities.
“Our land is our heritage and we have a duty to protect it lawfully and peacefully,” he said. “We welcome development and investment in our area, but due process must be respected. Before a C of O is issued, government must be certain that rightful owners were consulted.”
He urged the state government to maintain its long-standing reputation for fairness, noting that Issele-Azagba has remained politically loyal since 1999 and believes the present administration will not allow injustice to thrive.
Hon. Ijeh further disclosed that community members were deeply worried after learning that Cubana Group is scheduled to commence full construction on the site tomorrow. He appealed for immediate government intervention to prevent escalation and safeguard community assets.
“The disputed land spans about 1.3 kilometres. If this encroachment continues, we will be left with no choice but to seek legal redress. But we trust the government will step in before matters get to that point,” he added.
The Issele-Azagba community called on the Delta State Government to immediately halt all ongoing activities on the land, enforce the directive previously issued, and release the findings of the Boundary Adjustment Committee.
“We are appealing to the government we have always supported,” the leaders said. “We need your urgent intervention. Please come to the aid of the Issele-Azagba Development Union and ensure that justice is done.”
