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Delta women, youths barricade Govt House over alleged takeover of land

By Monday Osayande, Asaba
07 September 2022   |   3:55 am
Women and youths from Obi-Ugbe community, near Asaba, Delta State, yesterday, barricaded the state Government House for hours as they protested alleged take-over of their land by the state Commissioner for Land, Mrs. Kate Onianwa, and her ministry officials.

Obi-Ugbe Community barricaded government house while protesting against taken over of their land in Asaba… yesterday.<br />PHOTO: MONDAY OSAYANDE<br />

Women and youths from Obi-Ugbe community, near Asaba, Delta State, yesterday, barricaded the state Government House for hours as they protested alleged take-over of their land by the state Commissioner for Land, Mrs. Kate Onianwa, and her ministry officials.

The protesters arrived at Government House about 9:45 a.m., displaying placards with various inscriptions, such as: “Kate Onianwa leave our land alone”, “Okowa, tell your commissioner to leave Idumugbe land for us”, and “Kate resign, you are a land grabber”, among others.

The protesters, led by Onu-Diopka of Idumugbe village, Ogbueshi Eugene Umunna, accused the commissioner and her ministry officials of using helicopters to invade and occupy their land despite the ones “we have given government before to develop”.

“We have given enough land to government, the airport, the Delta Development Property Agency (DDPA), which the government is trying to develop for the purpose of housing estate are part of a larger parcel of land known as Akwu-ulo Land, the immigration office, civil defence and others belong to us.

“This said large parcel of land had in suit Nos: SC/235/67 and SC/358/76 been confirmed by the Supreme Court to belong exclusively to us- the Idumugbe family,” he said.

While describing the actions of the commissioner as uncalled for, Umunna, an engineer, said in spite of the Supreme Court judgment, “they are still selling the land to themselves without paying something to us the rightful owner, hence this peaceful demonstration.”

He added: For sometime now, we have been crying to government to rescue us from the hands of these land grabbers, but government is not doing anything to address the issue.”

Addressing the protesters, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Festus Ovie Agas, commended them for their peaceful conduct and assured them that government would respond to their demands.

Agas, amid tight security, said: “I have just received the judgment, I will study it before I hand over to the governor to address the issue because this government is founded on the rule of law.”

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