Barely a week after the Ogwashi-Uku monarch, Obi Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo was reportedly linked to forceful claim of ownership of about 33 hectares of land at Aniagbala – Ubulu-Uku, no fewer than 100 armed thugs on Tuesday besieged the land, setting 100 beehives on fire and uprooting not less than 6,000 palm trees with bulldozers.
The land which was legitimately acquired about eight years by a banker, Mr. Luke Ejiofor from group of families at Aniagbala for developmental purposes was first encroached upon on 25th November, 2024 by some unscrupulous elements suspected to have been sent by the Ogwashi-Uku who reportedly laid claim to the ownership of the land ostensibly based on a controversial court judgment.
Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday evening, Mr. Ejiofor said “in my plantation at Anigbala, I have over 6000 palm trees. The first time, the land grabbers went there and divided the plantation into two and uprooted some palm trees during their invasion last week. In the remaining half of the plantation, I have over 100 beehives there. They obviously did not enter the second half during the first invasion because of the beehives. They knew that the bees would not allow them to uproot the palm trees. I was following up on the first invasion only for me to hear that yesterday (Monday 2nd December, 2024) the land grabbers had gone to the second half and set fire on it. The whole plantation was burnt down including the bees.
“When I got report from my workers yesterday that the invaders had put fire on the plantation, I informed my elder brother, Chief Emma Ejiofor, who in turn called Prince Onyema Okonjo, the brother to the King of Ogwashi-Uku. Prince Onyema denied giving any body instruction to burn anywhere and that we should not believe anyone who alleged that they (the King’s people) burnt the place, stressing that it was not true. I decided to hold my peace thinking of what to do.”
However, to Ejiofor’s further dismay when his workers went to the plantation on Tuesday morning, they discovered that the invaders did not stop at burning the place but went with bulldozers accompanied by over 100 armed thugs and uprooted all my palm trees. “My workers could not confront the thugs because they were ready to kill. So my workers decided to hide somewhere and waited for the invading thugs to leave in the evening before they could have access to take photograph of the place. This is palm plantation that I have been growing for the past seven years. Throughout these years, nobody had ever come to challenge me over the ownership of the land. So I really do not know where the land grabbers’ intentions were coming from. More so, nobody served me any notice if the land had any legal dispute on it neither was I joined as party to any land dispute in connection with the place.”
As a law abiding citizen who strongly believes in the Rule of Law, Ejiofor has practically been trying to reach out to anybody who could intervene in this matter. According to him, “the only person who could be reached is Prince Onyema Okonjo who first admitted involvement because we had to send him the survey plan of my land to show that it is my land. Then, he said that the land in the survey plan I showed is in their land. In the light of this, he could not start denying that they were not the ones who sent the thugs on destructive mission.
“He later called my elder brother Chief Emma Ejiofor to say that it was Ashi Farms (Ashi Industries Limited) who were trying to recover the land. This position of Prince Onyema Okonjo is a contradiction to the court judgment they are parading. We have gotten hold of it and the court judgment is saying that it was the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku (HRM Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo) who took Ashi Farms to court over the land in Edo-Ogwashi. From this, it is evident that they are consistently lying. Aniagbala is not near to Edo-Ogwashi in any way, so one begins to wonder how these people came about their claim. The inconsistency in their statements at different times leaves much to the imagination of any discerning mind. The King is saying the land belongs to them, his brother is saying it belongs to Ashi Farm.
“In one breath, the King would admit that they are trying to reclaim their land and in other breath, he would say it is not them but Ashi Farms. Clearly, we have engaged people and carried out diligent investigation which has confirmed that the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku is behind the destruction and terror acts at Aniagbala. They are acting with impunity and they cannot deny it.”
When the land grabbers and some police personnel stormed the land last week, they arrested Ejiofor’s farm manager and beat up other workers in the multi-million naira palm oil plantation which was originally planned to be the source of palm fruits to a proposed palm oil processing mill in the same premises. The workers were allegedly taken to Ogwashi-Uku police station before their bail was secured. The banker said, ‘it was then, we knew the police men who came in the first operation were sent from Zone 5 Headquarters in Benin-City. The DPO (Divisional Police Officer) at Ogwashi-Uku police station admitted that the operational order for the use of police personnel during the first invasion was signed by the Inspector General of Police.
“He disclosed that it was the King who requested for police involvement. So there is no way they could come back to deny their involvement. Already they have destroyed my property. I am still wondering how Aniagbala has suddenly become part of Edo Ogwashi. Let us even concede without admitting that they have court judgment and they are executing it, did they give people notice? Did they did join us in the suit? Was Aniagbala mentioned in the court case?” he asked.
Following the first invasion of the land last week, Ejiofor through his lawyers (Juddyela & Associates) in a letter dated 2nd December, 2024 petitioned the State Director, Department of State Service (DSS) and the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command intimating the authorities of a case of an act of land grabbing, destruction of economic trees, criminal violation and invasion of Aniagbala community farm land which are all conducts likely to cause disturbance and breach of peace at Aniagbala community of Ubulu—Uku, and entire Aniocha South Local Government Area. The petition also pointed out the abuse of power and threat to life committed by His Royal Majesty Obi Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo II (The Obi of Ogwashi-Uku and his cohorts using gun wielding thugs who disguised as policemen and local vigilante named Lion.
He believed that the security agencies must have started work on the petition but regretted that the Ogwashi-Uku Monarch has obviously capitalized on the slow pace of action by the security agencies to take laws into his hand to cause destruction to his property. In his words, “the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku thinks he is above the law and has destroyed my life investment with impunity. How can any responsible human being deliberately commit arson on another person’s property without following due process of law? What kind of country is this?” he asked.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku was indicted by the Commission of Enquiry set up not long ago by the Delta State Government over the perennial report of land grabbing linked the monarch. He was said to have been given a restraining order not to enter any of the land in dispute until the boundary adjustment is determined. “Unfortunately, this Aniagbala where my plantation is located was not even listed among the lands in dispute sent to the Commission of Enquiry, Ejiofor remarked. Continuing, he said “because the Commission of Enquiry just stopped sitting at a time, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku cashed in, on it to enter Aniagbala. This means the king does not have regard for anybody including the Governor of Delta State.
“The King strongly believes that he is above the law but the truth is that he cannot be above the law in Nigeria. We will surely seek redress because he cannot be above the law simply because he is a king. The situation in Aniagbala now is that nobody goes to farm because of the terror acts unleashed on the community by the thugs sent by the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku. We have been accusing Fulani herdsmen of terrorism in our area but the King’s terror acts are worse than the Fulani’s. People in Aniagbala cannot freely go to their farms anymore because of the King’s terror.
“It is even suspected that the spate of kidnapping in Aniagbala has some link to the king’s terror tendencies championed through his Lion vigilante he uses to intimidate people. I went to Ogwashi-Uku the other day, I saw the Lion vigilante bearing arms. They kill with impunity and go scot free. I was even told not to come near my plantation as they would kill me if I dared come there. That is threat to my life,” he lamented.