Land Tussles In Delta State: The Need For Government’s Interventional

In recent years, there has been a re-occurring cases of land disputes in Delta State, leading to several loss of lives and destruction of property worth several millions of naira.

There are handily any six months without violent communal clashes over land matters in the state, necessitating well meaning and concerned Deltans to call for urgent government intervention.

One of such calls for government intervention was made few days ago, by Chief Asatotalele Osewade JP, a prominent member of Owerre Olubor Community, Ika North East Local Government Area of the State.

He passionately appealed to the State Government, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to immediately set up a panel of inquiry to look into the incessant clashes over ownership of lands in the State particularly in his community, Owerre Olubor.

Chief Osewade told The Reliance that ‘people were killing themselves over land matters, he said the high level of development in the State could be responsible for the struggle for available land.

“According to him, due to expansion of Developmental activities in the State, land is becoming like gold and some  people have resorted to engaging in bitter struggle for land, even the ones not theirs, would want to claim them by force and when the rightful owners resist them, it leads to violence and deaths.

“My own community, Owerre Olubor is not free of the evil activities of land grabbers, the family of Okolie nearby, is being wiped off the surface of the earth because of the struggle for their family land which a family from the neighboring Obior Community has been wanting to take from them.

“Sometime in 2004, something that started as a minor disagreement over who was the rightful owner of the piece of land in Owerre Olubor, later led to the brutal murder of Pa Stephen Okolie in 2014.

“The Elders tried hard to settle the matter but to no avail. The matter went to the police but often than not, the law enforcement agents take side with the party that is able to grease their palm very well.”

The government retiree further stated that “some of our community people who attempted to assist the Okolie’s family to ward off the land grabbers were also visited with untimely death.

“This situation may have also necessitated the vanishment of Pa Okolie’s grandson, Solomon Okolie who has not been seen since 2016. Some people said he has ran away to abroad for safety. But no one truly knows his whereabouts. All we know is that his life is not safe here.

“Unfortunately for him, those contending for his family land were said to have vowed that until they wipe out members of the Okolie’s family, they won’t rest. This may have also been responsible for the brutal murder of his mother, Mrs. Eunice Okolie, around August, last year. The police said they are investigating the killing of the innocent woman.

“Her killers were said to have boasted that same treatment also awaits her son, Solomon Okolie anytime he is found”. We are very concerned about this ugly development and the security agencies are not even showing any interest in the matter.

“This is the reason I am appealing on the State Government to intervene in the matter for us to have peace” Chief Osewade posited.

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