An appeal has gone to the federal government for timely intervention and protection of the village head of Evboneka in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, Mr. Nosakhare Ozemijie Osunde , whose life is allegedly being threatened by the self acclaimed chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) of the village, Mr. Omoregbe Ogie.
A family source had revealed in an earlier petition that Mr osunde ordeal started in 2016 when the said Ogie forcefully chased him out the community, using hardened gunmen to enable him engage in illegal sale of lands.
In the letter dated 2nd October 2022 ,Mr Osunde stated that his ordeal started in 2016 when the said Ogie forcefully chased him out of the community, using hardened gunmen
Mr. Osunde in his letter, disclosed that his ‘offence’ was because of his resistance to the illegal sale of his family land, including community land by Mr. Omoregbe Ogie and his cohorts.
According to Mr. Osunde, “when I resisted him, he sent his boys with guns and all manners of weapons to my house. It took the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who sent his men for my rescue.
“In view of the constant threat to my life and that of my family members, I wrote a petition through my Lawyer, Kola Okeaya Inneh (SAN) to the Edo State Police Commissioner and the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II who subsequently delivered judgement in my favour.
“But in spite of the intervention of the then Commissioner of Police and the judgement from the Oba of Benin, my tormentor, Mr. Ogie never allowed me to come back to the Community.
“Also, my nephew, Mr Ozemijie Godwin who is the first son of the family head who was perceived as a potential stumbling block was placed under severe surveillance by Mr. Ogie and his gangs and this prompted him (Mr. Ozemijie Godwin), to write a petition to the Honourable Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, Benin City, Edo State over threat to his life.
“Furthermore, in the month of September 2021, my Lawyer, Barrister Olayiwola Afolabi filed a suit with No ESMDC/57/W/2021 to the Registrar, Edo State Multi Door Court, High Court Complex, Benin City Edo State.
“The Judgement was also delivered in my Favor and an agreement was reached and signed by both parties (Osunde and Ogie) on 18th May 2022. But in spite of all these judgements, Mr. Omoregbe Ogie still vowed not to comply with the judgement.
He boasted to wipe out all my family linage from the surface of the earth. My family has become helpless without help from anywhere and we are all on the run helplessly.
“Up till this moment, me and my family members are all into hiding for fear of being eliminated and my Family house is presently covered with grasses with no trace of human existence there.
“I want to use this medium to call on the federal government, Edo state Government and the Oba of Benin to come to my aid so that I can return back to my Father’s Land as me and my Family members are now Refugee in our own country.”
Unfortunately, this hapless situation, according to investigation, led to the death of the Elder brother of Mr. Osunde, Mr Michael Ozemijie Izevbigie in September, 2022.
But family source who would not want his name in print for fear of attack,told The Reliance that Mr Nosakhare Ozemijie Osunde for fear for the safety of his life and that of his family including the only surviving son of his late brother, Mr Ozemijie Godwin may have relocated to an unknown location.
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