There’s apprehension in Obodogba Community, Okpanam, in Oshimili North Local Government Area, following the alleged take over of disputed Obodogba Land, said to belong to the community, by heavily armed Naval officers who now pose as threat to indigens of the community.
Presently, the people are said to be leaving part of the community in droves to avoid being victims especially as the Naval officers reportedly parade the community, fully armed as if it were in a war zone
Speaking to the Traditional Ruler of the Community, the Ugoani of Okpanam, HRM, Obi Clement Mbanefor, he said, for Military personnel to forcefully occupy some portion of our land is against the constitution of our country.
According to him, as an authority, it is not in the poview of the military to venture into land matters talk less, of going to occupy a community Land and begin development without the consent of the owners of the land.
He said, “We have always warn people that want to patronize us for land business especially those that chose to buy land from anywhere in Okpanam to come to the central body, we will help them investigate the land instead of running into the hands of fraudsters or forcefully buying community Land.
“We are appealing to them to quietly vacate the place because they are not the genuine owners of the land, it belongs to the community”, he stressed.
Addressing newsmen on the development, the Chairman of Obodogba Youth, Chukwuma Abumujor recalled that prior to the presence of the Naval officers and soldiers from Asaba, earlier, stormed the disputed Obodogba community Land and drove away people working for the land owners.
He said that in a petition signed by the community to the Chief of Naval Staff, that the people of Obodogba community are appealing for protection because they were being threatened by unknown gunmen sent by one Rear Admiral Vincent Okeke who is laying siege and trespassing on their farm land in the process, destroying economic crops and properties belonging to the people of the community.
Recounting the ordeal the Community went through, the Central Executive Committee Chairman Obodogba Community, Chief Paul Nwayalani disclosed, “They want to take our land by force because they have guns. The Obodogba land belongs to our forefathers. Others still have their land around here, but ours is the biggest, and they want to take it from us” he cried.
He said, whether they like it or not, they are trespassing, they started by demolishing the building using bulldozers to destroy properties and clear the land. Last week, while we were on the land, they brought a truckload of Naval officers from the commander to chase our people away and start shooting guns to terrorizing the area.
Throwing more light on the community land, Engr. Samuel Morah the consultant on Obodogba Community land, said, some individuals allegedly sold the community land to one Rear Admiral, a senior Naval Officer without properly verifying ownership.
He said: “When I noticed the military invasion in that area by Naval Officers or military men, I approached them asking who posted them to monitor the land, but they refused to give a vivid reply instead they threatened to shot me and drove me out of the venue.
“Due to their aggression I had to leave the location and report to the military personnel at the barracks who promised to intervene into the issues, when they got to the venue they try to discuss with them, but the Naval officer was extremely angry because I returned to the location with the Army personnel they started shooting and chasing my vehicle and the whole place turned into chaos. I had to run for my life,” he said
In a swift reaction when contacted, the Naval Officers denied all allegations of land grabbing or oppressing as alleged by the community stating that they are being sent by their boss who bought the land from one member of the community and he had already given them monetary settlement
Efforts to reach the Naval Officer who brought the land was unsuccessful as he declined every phone call connected to reach out to him.
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