Abavo Kingsley, Benin
Iyanomo village in Ovia North – East Local Government Council Area, Edo State has cried out over alleged continued attack by their immediate neighbor; Oye dukedom.
Rising from an enlarged meeting last week, the people led by their Odionwere (Village Head), Omoregieva Sunday Agho cried out, passionately appealing to the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, State Government, and all relevant security agencies to urgently intervene to save them from unceasing nightmare in the hands of the people of Oye community.
They lamented that in each attack, the people of Oye community destroyed their property with the recent attack happening on 15 May, 2019.
Agho narrated; “we were surprised to wake up one morning to see some persons from Oye and in their midst, persons wearing army uniform ravaging the entire village.
“Oye people using the army, forcefully claim ownership of land that belongs to Iyanomo village, and destroyed buildings that were at various stages of development.”
According to him, the Enogie of Oye, HRH Aighobahi Osagie claimed that the Nigerian army owns the land having sold it to them years ago.
A claim he says is not true as Iyanomo only has boundary with Oye and not the army as they wrongly want the public to believe.
“It is Oye that shares boundary with the army” Agho said.
The Odionwere disclosed him, some elders, and youths were on the day of the attack arrested and detained for two days at the army barracks on the alleged instruction of HRH Aighobahi.
He added that since Oba Ewuare II pronounced Iyanomo is separate and independent of Oye dukedom, they have continuously attacked and used soldiers to harass them.
Also speaking, Sunday Ohiengbonwan, and Monday Ifasuhun cried that Iyanomo people were sick and tired of the continued attack on them by the people og Oye community.
One of the properties’ developers who simply identified himself as Kabiru, laments that the unending attack and destruction of their properties is becoming unbearable and they are now afraid of the unknown to continue work.
According to him, some of the properties destroyed were at lintel, and DPC levels while over 3,000 blocks destroyed as the men in army uniform chased out everyone found on ground after allegedly beating them to stupor.
Iyanomo people appeals all relevant authorities including the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II should urgently come to their rescue.
Efforts to contact the Enogie of Oye community for his reaction, was unsuccessful as at the time of filing this story, even as he was said to be indisposed by a source which crave to be anonymous.
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