Edo communities feud over land, seek govt’s intervention

Tension has reportedly pervaded the Iguomon community and their Ikhuonbo neighbours, both in Uhunmwode Local Council area of Edo State, following disputes arising from the ownership of a parcel of land.

Consequently, the Iguomon community has called on the state government and security agencies, to wade into the matter by enforcing the decision of the state High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which all affirmed that the disputed land belongs to Iguomon.

The Guardian gathered yesterday that the crisis has been on since 1987, while the court final process was concluded at the apex court in 2006.
Vice Chairman of the Iguomon Youth Association, Stanley Osazee, who spoke on behalf of the community, expressed gratitude to the governor, Adams Oshiomhole and the state Commissioner of Police for acting promptly to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

Osazee‎ alleged that the Ikhuonbo community have been crying wolf where non-exists, insisting that the subject in question is their ancestral land.

According to him, “The land is owned by Iguomon community, and the Benin palace had validated this rights in the past when it recommended that Iguomon community should cede 150ft from of the land to Ikhuonbo,” which he said the community complied with.

The community added that as law-abiding citizens, they applied for a warrant of possession after the Supreme Court judgment, which was granted in the year 2013, and the warrant directed the bailiff to bring down every structure within the territory belonging to Iguomon.

He said unfortunately, when the court went to the disputed land to enforce the court’s order, the people of Ikhuonbo resisted and shot sporadically against the security operatives who accompanied the bailiffs.

The community disclosed that after the incident, Ikhuonbo community sued Iguomon community for N20million, claiming that Iguomon community damaged their property in the process.The Iguomon community has therefore called on the authorities to wade into the matter by implementing the Supreme Court ruling.