News
Land grabbing: Delta monarch debunks allegations, vows to unite kingdom
The Obi-in-Council of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, Aniocha South LGA, Delta state, has rejected claims by a group, United and Concerned Indigenes of Utulu, alleging that Obi Ifechukwude Okonjo 11, Obi of Ogwashi-Uku is involved in land grabbing.
Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, HRM Ifechukwude Okonjo 11 is a younger sibling of former Nigerian Finance Minister and current Director General, World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The Obi-in-Council, in a signed statement, its scribe, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, stressed: “the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku cannot and will not confiscate land that lawfully belongs to Ogwashi-Uku community under his stewardship.”
It accused the group of planning “to plunge Utulu back into the dark days of criminality and unrest.”
It said the group was connected to persons recently granted bail from Federal Correctional Centre, Ogwashi-Uku for “inciting security disturbances in Utulu, Ogwashi-Uku”, adding that it has used the names of prominent government figures to bolster their false claims.”
It said the leaders of the group are not indigenes of Utulu Ogwashi-Uku, a recognised part of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, and as such lacks legitimacy.
Reacting, Mr. Chukwuma Nkwuka, leader of the group in a statement, said residents of Utulu community were being attacked by terror groups. He added that they would resort to taking up arms in self defence.
In the statement which reads in part, Nkwuka said, “We, the law abiding citizens of Otulu Community have been pushed to the wall by the terror groups and their sponsors leaving us with the only option of taking up arms in defence of ourselves.
“Recently, the Delta State government through His Excellency, Sir Monday Onyeme, Deputy Governor of Delta State in a meeting with some traditional rulers from Ogwashi-Uku, Okpanam, Ibusa, Issele-Azagba, Ubulu-Okiti etc following complaints of land grabbing directed that the sale of land in disputed boundary areas should be stopped forthwith pending the outcome of an Investigation Panel set up by the government to look into the matter.”
According to him, such financial mishandling not only disrupts critical public services and projects but also results in major losses to the nation’s purse—resources that could have been channelled into crucial services and developmental efforts, as laid out in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Speaker Abbas, thereafter setup a Special Committee to be chaired by Rep. Chinedu Martins to immediately launch a probe into the “Utilisation of take-off grants, bailout funds, and interventions allocated to MDAs, government institutions, and GOEs from 2015 to present.”
The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the Abuja light rail project, reaffirming its May 29 delivery as sacrosanct.
He made these assurances after inspecting the ongoing construction of access roads to the train stations on Wednesday, from Metro Train Station in the Central Area to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Reassuring journalists accompanying him, the minister reiterated that President Bola Tinubu would commission the rail project on May 29 to mark his second year in office.
The visited stations were Wupa station near Idu and Bassanjiwa station near the airport.
“This is part of our routine inspection of ongoing projects to see the contractors’ progress,” Wike explained.
“We are working day and night to fulfill our promise to President Tinubu and FCT residents. By May, Mr. President will ride on the Metro line.”
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are currently invading some communities in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to sources, the herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the community around 04:15pm on Thursday.
“Our lives are in danger this evening, armed Fulani herdsmen, about 600 in numbers have taken over our communities this evening,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“They’re currently moving around towns in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state. No security personnel at all, Governor Alia didn’t send security, they said operation will start soon once they (herders) have observed the place.”
The insecurity situation in Benue has been alarming in recent weeks with attacks from gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
The media had reported that suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror in Benue State, attacking three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, just a day after 11 people were killed in a deadly raid on Otobi community.
The latest victims of the escalating violence were Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, communities that had previously suffered an attack in February, which left five people dead.
However, the renewed attack has created fear and mass displacement among residents, with women and children fleeing to safety.
Local sources say the death toll from the fresh attack remains unclear, but several casualties are feared.
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