Land Grabbers Introduce Banditry In Delta Communities As Gunmen Invade Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku Farm Lands

By Frank Oshanugor

The last may not have been heard about land grabbing activities in parts of Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State as ‘hired’ gunmen now terrorise residents and farmers of Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku, imposing levies on them under threat.

In what is reminiscent of the origin of banditry in some parts of Northern Nigeria, young men armed with pump action guns are now masquerading in lands of Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku and Ubulu-Okiti, intimidating residents, with threat to pay some amount of money with warning to stay away from the land which naturally belongs to them (residents).

Some sources in the area on Wednesday told ATLANTICNEWSONLINE that residents are now afraid to go to their farms or do anything meaningful for fear of intimidation by the gunmen allegedly brought by some land grabbers.

Narrating his experience, Chief Victor Okoh, who holds the title of Ezumezu of Ubulu-Uku said the late king of Ubulu-Uku, His Royal Highness Obi Edward Ofulue II had given him parts of Aniagbala land for farming since 1990. Aniagbala is an Ubulu-Uku territory under the control of the king.

“I started farming on the land over thirty years ago, upscaling it by planting some economic trees there like palm plantation. All these years, I never had issues with anyone until some time in November, 2024 when my workers came to report that some strange people came with bulldozers to my plantation and started destroying things.

“When confronted, the bulldozer operators said they were there on the instruction of Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, His Royal Majesty Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo, claiming that the land belongs to Ogwashi-Uku. They went ahead and destroyed some of my palm trees.

“Today, I went to the plantation to convey palm fruits harvested by my workers, I suddenly ran into some armed men who accosted me with a threat that I am in their territory. I tried to ascertain their identity, they told me clearly that the Ogwashi-Uku king hired them and gave instruction that they should guard the land. I tried to explain to them that I am from Ubulu-Uku and the land is mine. The armed men would not want to listen to such explanation as they marched me some distance away to see their “commander” who was sitting somewhere on the road leading to Otulu.

“On getting there, we met a young man who began to warn me about my presence on the land, insisting that they are hired from Aguleri in Anambra State to keep away anybody from the land.” After the warning as he tried to go, the gun men insisted he must pay some amount of levy to secure his freedom.

Seeing that his life was in danger, he pleaded with them that he did not come to the farm with money. After some minutes, the so called commander allowed him to go but with a warning never to come near the land anymore.

Another source Mr. Ejiofor Ubaka, a resident of Aniagbala said “last Friday (17/1/2025) some of our people who went to farm told me that some Ogwashi-Uku people (Lion Heart Vigilante) were in the bush with bulldozers, destroying our people’s economic trees and things, but fortunately some policemen came and chased them away.

“They ran away leaving behind three of their bulldozers which were parked by the side of our farms in our community. Since then we noticed that some armed men have been loitering in our community harassing residents on their way to farms. These armed men are bearing Pump Action rifles. Even my own younger brother who went to tap palm wine was held at gun point but later left off the hook at the intervention of an unidentified man.

“This morning I was in my house when I got information that Chief Ezumezu had been held by the gun men. He was held hostage for a while during which they intimidated him at gun point with a demand of ransom to secure his release even though, the land belongs to him. This morning also, another two bulldozers were brought in to join the three parked on our land to once again commence destroying our land.

“Every resident is now living in fear as the pump action gun men are all over the place. Some of them are in the bush because our hunters had sighted them severally as they move about with torch lights. Those parading the community in the day time have become terror to residents.”

With this ugly development, it is feared that full blown banditry would soon take over all the lands just like what happens in Zamfara and other Northern States.

Barely a week ago, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun had reportedly directed the Commissioner of Police in Delta State to dislodge land grabbers and their agents in Ubulu-Okiti, Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku. They land grabbers were allegedly assisted by some policemen from Zone 5 police headquarters in Benin-City.

Following the IGP’s order, the Zone 5 policemen had left the area but the land grabbers unrelentingly went ahead to continue their invasion of other people’s communities with the aid of Lion Heart Vigilante and hired gunmen who are now on the threshold of becoming a full blown bandits.

Since the name of the Ogwashi-Uku monarch was mentioned by some victims based on what the gunmen told them, ATLANTICNEWSONLINE decided to contact the spokesperson of the King, who is his younger brother; Prince Onyema Okonjo for the King’s side of the story, but he could not pick calls made to his known telephone number neither did he respond to Whatsapp message sent to him for clarification as at press time.

When contacted, spokesman of Delta State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Bright Edafe told ATLANTICNEWSONLINE that the Command was not yet aware of the presence of such gunmen in the area. However, he advised residents of the area to promptly lodge a report to the nearest police station for action.