Looming Bloodbath In Aniocha South LGA: Communities Worry Over Oborevwori’s Slow Action

By Braxton Ilobah & Winnie Kodilonye

The people of Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku and Ubulu-Okiti communities in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State are beginning to feel disappointed over Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s inability to speedily stem the tide of communal violence looming largely on their land which is reportedly being under the siege of armed men brought in by land grabbers.

Investigation by our reporters at the weekend, revealed that in spite of series of media reports on the invasion of Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku and Ubulu-Okiti lands by agents of Ashi Industries Limited (owners of Ashi Farms) and the Ogwashi-Uku monarch, Obi Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo who are allegedly claiming 686.70 hectares of land with ordinary “Writ of Possession,” not backed up with any existing Court Judgment, Delta State Government has not taken any decisive steps to checkmate the invaders who have continued to destroy people’s farms and multi billion naira worth of economic trees, crops and other things.

In any case, the Writ of Possession in question specifically has to do with Edo-Ogwashi and nothing to do with Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku and Ubulu-Okiti lands which are far located.

Following the aggressive, provocative and destructive tendencies of the land invaders, on 27th December, 2024 the youths of Ubulu-Okiti, Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku communities had staged a peaceful protest to the Government House, Asaba ostensibly to officially report to the Government about the activities of land grabbers and their agents who were being aided by policemen from Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin-City.

The policemen are acting on a purported directive from the Inspector General of Police who was obviously misled into believing that the so called Writ of Possession is backed up with judgment of any court of law.

ATLANTICNEWSONLINE lawyers have described the Writ of Possession as not an alternative to a Court Judgment. It is argued therefore that the Ogwashi-Uku High Court which issued the Writ of Possession without a valid court judgment may have miscarried justice, the consequence of which, is this misuse of police personnel from Zone 5 Police Headquarters, Benin-City.

During the protest, Secretary to Delta State Government; Mr. Kingsley Emu who received the protesters on behalf of the Governor, while appreciating the peaceful nature of the protest, had assured the youths that government was committed to ensuring peace in the area. He had added that based on series of petition against the Ogwashi-Uku monarch over land issues, a Commission of Inquiry was set up to holistically investigate the matter and report back to government for necessary action.

The communities are disappointed that in spite of the extant order by Delta State Government for the monarch and other land grabbers to stay away from the land until the Commission of Inquiry comes up with its report, the monarch and his agents have continued to provoke indigenes of the communities by going ahead to destroy their economic trees, crops and other properties.

Their worries are further worsened by the current siege laid in the communities by armed militias who have now turned themselves to terrors, intimidating the natives and extorting them of various sums of money. Some natives who spoke to our reporters on the basis of anonymity out of fear of reprisal attack, said some farmers going to their farms were held hostage until they paid some money to the gun wielding men before securing their release.

Investigation revealed that the armed men some of whom were identified as hired security guards from Aguleri in Anambra State were working in collaboration with operatives of Lion Heart Vigilante, an illegal outfit allegedly sponsored by the Ogwashi-Uku king.

Further investigations revealed that the Lion Heart Vigilante operatives who go about with guns are operating illegally as they are reportedly not in the list of approved armed vigilante groups in the State.

The communities are further disturbed by the fact that these land grabbers are fastly setting up what they described as “parallel government” against the government of Delta State, yet Governor Sheriff Oborevwori pretends not to know despite several media reports announcing the presence of these illegal groups reportedly backed by policemen from Zone 5 Police Headquarters Benin-City.

These armed groups have now graduated to the level of setting up illegal toll gate in area, collecting money from indigenes and beating up anyone who fails to cooperate.

One of the sources stated that some farmers who were returning from their farms on motor cycles were stopped by the police. After introducing themselves as farmers the police asked them to bail themselves with N20,000 each, the farmers objected saying they did not have money but the police resorted to searching them and eventually took N7,000 from them.

Illegal check points have reportedly been set up for collection of tolls from indigenes while any indigenes suspected to have participated in challenging the invaders in the past, were thoroughly beaten.

Many indigenes of the besieged communities are nursing fears that if the Delta State Government and the Inspector General of Police fail to dislodge the emerging militia group terrorising the communities, indigenes may be forced to resort to self help that could lead to serious bloodbath, thereby making the state ungovernable.