… engage in daily shooting
Elders of Ohonre Community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo State, are calling on the state government, the Oba of Benin, and the State Police Command to rescue them from a band of land grabbers led by one Victor Ugiagbe, who have been besieging the community with dangerous weapons including guns, to unlawfully seize and sell landed properties and terrorise inhabitants.
Representatives of Ohonre Community visited The Nigerian Observer office, Wednesday to lay their complaints and appeal to authorities to save them from the fury of the thugs in the likes of Victor Ugiagbe (from Isihor Community), in the company of Henry Osawaru (from Isihor Community), Frank Idu (from Egbaen Community), John Idu (from Egbaen Community), among others.
The Ohonre Community elders led by their 2nd in command (Edion), Pa John Imagbenikaro Uyigue, said that following the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration’s construction and repair of a network of roads in the community and leading up to it, the value of lands had appreciated in the area, noting that since then the land grabbers have been raiding their lands, layout raids on the people with dangerous weapons, and forcefully seizing and selling their lands.
They stated this during an interview with The Nigerian Observer.
The Odionwere of Ohonre Community, Pa Ogbemudia Orobor, who was represented by the second in command of Ohonre community (Edion), Pa John Imagbenikaro Uyigue, appealed to the Oba of Benin, Edo State government, the security agencies and the general public to come to their aid following incessant assault being experienced from Egbaen Community, Victor Ugiagbe and his cohorts from Isihor community.
In his words, “Ohonre community is a neighbour to Egbaen Community, Isihor, Ugbowo and Uwelu. But in recent times the people of Egbaen Community have invaded our village claiming that the back of our Secondary School that Edo State established is their boundary.”
Pa Uyigue stated that the people of Ohonre and Egbaen have lived peacefully over the years and that the Ovia Shrine is the symbol of the boundary between both communities.
Also speaking, the Secretary of Ohonre community, Patrick Orobor, commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for his infrastructural development being witnessed in Ohonre Community that has now placed the community on a pathway of development.
Orobor stated that it is the development currently being witnessed in Ohonre Community that made the newly installed Odionwere of Egbaen Community to be causing trouble with the help of Victor Ugiagbe who has been previously convicted by the Magistrate Court and has been declared wanted by the Edo State Government for land grabbing in a publication that was published on Vanguard Newspaper on September 17, 2022.
“Victor Ugiagbe is leading them because we were able to chase him away from the community. He is from Isihor and has also claimed to be the Odionwere of Ohonre. Meanwhile, we have papers from the Oba of Benin to prove otherwise. The paper, dated the 6th of July, 2020, establishes this fact,” Orobor declared.
The Ohonre community Secretary said that they had written numerous letters to appropriate authorities; including the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, the State Security Services among others, about the activities of Egbaen Community and Victor Ugiagbe.
Several letters sighted by The Nigerian Observer show that on the 9th of November, 2022, Ohonre community addressed a letter to Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and copied the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Edo State Commissioner for Education and the Edo State Commissioner of Police on “LAND GRABBING, THREAT TO LIVE AND OTHER OBDURATE ACTIVITIES OF VICTOR UGIAGBE AND OSARETIN OSADOLOR IN OHONRE COMMUNITY IN EGOR L.G.A OF EDO STATE.”
Similarly, on the 7th September, 2023, Ohonre community leaders and elders addressed an appeal letter to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpo, Oba Ewuare 11, The Oba of Benin titled “HUMBLE APPEAL FOR OHONRE COMMUNITY RESCUE AND FINAL RESOLUTION AND DECLARATION OF RIGHTFUL ODIONWERE”. The letter was subsequently received and signed by the Benin Traditional Council on 12th September, 2023.
Also, on the 28th of April, 2023, EDOMWANDE & CO (Erhun Chambers) on behalf of Ohonre Community addressed a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters Abuja titled “Petition against Victor Ugiagbe for arming thugs, forcing boys to join secret cults and running away from investigation in Benin City”.
In the same vein, on the 22nd July, 2024, EDOMWANDE & CO. (Erhun Chambers) on behalf of Ohonre Community addressed a letter to The Edo State Director, State Security Services on the “Unwholesome activities of the Okaigheles of Egbean and Isiohor” following the directives of His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State, that they should investigate the siege orchestrated by Victor Ugiagbe.
Patrick Orobor called the Egbaen Community to leave Ohonre land, stating that survey and GIS show that the land in contention belongs to Ohonre Community.
The Youth Leader of Ohonre Community, Monday Aigbe, pleaded with the State Governor, Governor Obaseki to come to their aid, saying that they don’t want to take laws into their own hands.
A developer in Ohonre Community, Mr. Efosa Enabulele, narrated how he and his boys escaped death following sporadic shootings by youths of Egbaen community on May 14, 2024.
