Residents of Issele-Azagba in Delta State have appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to intervene in a land dispute that they fear could escalate into violence akin to the Okuama incident.
In a petition submitted by their lawyer, Mr. Larry Olisa, and provided to journalists on Friday, the community accused land grabbers from Okpanam of forcibly taking land in the Akpoma quarters.
This takeover has led to the destruction of homes and the displacement of residents.
The petition highlights the failure of previous peace efforts, including boundary agreements and peace committees.
The community is now urging the authorities to enforce the agreed-upon boundaries and address the ongoing conflict.
The petition states, “The people of Issele-Azagba, being peace-loving, even ceded parts of their land to the Okpanam community in 2010 to ensure harmony between the two communities.
Representatives from both communities signed the agreement, but some members of Okpanam have breached it, seizing Issele-Azagba land with the aid of armed thugs.”
The petition also details recent violence, including attacks on Akpoma indigenes by armed thugs from Okpanam.
It notes that the Delta State Government had previously established a peace committee, and Senator Ned Nwoko had formed another committee led by Mr. Dan Okenyi to resolve the crisis.
Despite these efforts, Okpanam members have ignored the agreements and even secured a court order to conduct a survey, which they used to start bulldozing and erecting a perimeter fence in Issele-Azagba.
Mr. Olisa further claims that Chinedu Okere, a real estate investor, has been victimized by the land grabbers, who seized land he had purchased and falsely accused him of criminal activity in a petition to the IGP.
The petition urges the state government to delineate and enforce the existing boundary lines and calls on the IGP to bring the perpetrators to justice to prevent further escalation.
It also recalls a similar complaint last week from the Ogbeozoma community in Okpanam, which demanded an investigation into alleged invasions by Issele-Azagba gunmen.
