Cooperative petitions IG, Wike over land grabbers

An association of private farm owners in Etche, Rivers State has petitioned the Inspector General of Police and Governor Nyesom Wike over attempts by land grabbers to disposes them of their land.

The body made up of farmers and an agro cooperative society named United Port Harcourt Peoples Cooperative and Credit Investment Limited had purchased the land from Nwala family of Umuodaka Abara Etche.

They also allege in their petition that the land grabbers have strong network with security agencies within the state and beyond.

The group’s counsel, Gospel Agi, stated that the farmers had acquired the land legally with verifiable papers registered by government, noting that in 2007, a High Court in Okehi had given judgment on the ownership of the land.

The court had in its judgment given perpetual injunction from any trespassers from entering the land. The land is located at Umuadaka community in Abara Etche Local Government Area.

The legal practitioner revealed that an earlier petition they wrote to the state police commissioner over the matter has not been addressed for seven months.

He alleged police may have compromised as the land grabbers have begun destroying their properties, which covers over 200 plots of plantain and pineapple plantation, including 900 plots of lands acquired by the cooperative society to set up agro processing plant.

Agi alleged last week that the land grabbers went into the land and drove farmers from the land, some were raped and kidnapped by gun wielding mercenaries.