Prosecute Policemen behind violent attacks in Delta community, CDHR urges IGP

National President, Committee for Defense of Human Rights, (CDHR), Comrade Kehinde Prince Taiga, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to fish out men of the Nigeria Police Force deployed from Abuja, who allegedly shot and killed two police officers and three community youths over land grabbing issues in Okpanam area, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta state.

It would be recalled that the ownership dispute over a large expanse of land in the community started in 2021, when CP Ari Muhammed Ali, now Assistant Inspector General (AIG), was Delta State Commissioner of Police and DCP Johnson, now Commissioner of Police (CP) and current PSO to IGP, was DC Ops at the same time at the Command.

The issue which had lingered for over three years took a worrisome dimension recently as Policemen were drafted from the Force Headquarters in Abuja over the matter, and manhandled some members of the opposition group laying claim to the same property.

Expressing concern over the prolonged delay by the Police both at Delta State Command and Force headquarters, Abuja, in resolving the issue despite the series of petitions to IGP Egbetokun, by the oppressed land owners’ legal teams and civil society groups on the matter, Taiga raised the fears of a possible interceptions of the petitions from reaching the IGP’s table for prompt attention.

Making the call for IGP’s prosecution of all the policemen from Abuja that were involved in the alleged killings of fellow policemen and harmless indigenes in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri, yesterday, the CDHR President urged IGP Egbetokun to as a matter of urgency look into the case to avoid further violence escalations in the community.

He also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all major suspects in the land dispute matter for their involvement in the series of land grabbing cases that had been recorded in the area.

In the statement, Taiga alleged that it was this same set of suspects that usually engaged the services of police officers to harass and intimidate property owners in the area under dispute, thereby depriving them of developing their property.

He added that the height of land dispute crisis in the community in recent was the killing of two police officers with one of them sustaining severe injuries, while three youths were also killed.

Taiga in the statement narrated the ordeals of some Okpanam indigenes with the suspects, stating that one Chinedu Ifuani, gave sordid details of his experience with the police who were allegedly acting under the instruction of those suspected to be behind the land dispute.

Ifuani said, “I was arrested at Cable Point in Asaba. I thought they were kidnappers. They tied my eyes with clothes. I was later carried to the state CID office. I told them I’m a businessman from Okpanam. I have my factory where I do my business. I told them I am not what they thought I am.

“They took me to Decoy Unit and gave me beatings, but I told them I do not know what they are talking about. They later locked me inside the cell in the Decoy office.

“Last time we wanted to go to the bush, we found out that they buried charms everywhere so that we couldn’t enter the bush. We saw them. We are no longer safe.

“Every day, they keep forging documents and consent judgment. All documents they are using are forged. No one they obtained through the right channel. We report all this to the police.

“They know the truth, but they will not do anything. They will collect money and turn against us. This is what is going on in our community. We are no longer safe.

“The land in question belongs to Okpanam community in Oshimili North. The land is from the forefathers in Okpanam. They gave Issele Azagba where they are today. That is Amachai and Okpozoma.

“They are paying homage. Now that the land has turned to money, they forgot the relationship they had with our forefathers. The agreement is that they will not drag land with us. They are from Aniocha North.”

Iyke Dike, a property owner in the area, also has an experience over the matter.

According to him, one Emeka bought a parcel of land from Issele Azagba, who later discovered that Issele Azagba had issues with Okpozoma.

Dike revealed that at the commencement of the battle to claim the land from Okpozoma, a community in Okpanam, Issele Azagba promised to give him land as compensation. He reportedly told them where he wanted to be given to him.

Dike further revealed that the land he requested had already been sold to Delta State House of Assembly Cooperative Society. Hence, he demanded that the cooperative should be reallocated to another area, a development the cooperative rejected.

“I am calling on the IGP to direct CP Delta to investigate the killing of the officers, the shooting, and the malicious damages caused,” the human rights activist demanded.

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