Tony Osauzo, Benin

Things have certainly gone awry for Oke-Aroma Community, also known as Ago-Emokpae, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, following attacks on the community that saw residents deserting the town.

The community has been devastated, as houses have been destroyed and looted, just as domestic animals and crops were destroyed during the attack said to have been carried out by the people of Amagba, in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, who insisted Oke-Aroma was part of Amagbaland.

Prior to the recent attack, in which the community claimed four of its people were killed, the relationship between Amagba and Oke-Aroma had been strained for over one year, because of the claim of automy by the latter.

It was gathered that the friction between the two communities was accentuated by the state government’s recent decision to create a new city in that axis, making land to suddenly become a priced asset.

Abel Emokpae, whose great-grandfather founded Oke-Aroma village, said it did not matter if you called the place Ago-Emokpae or Oke-Aroma but the place did not belong to Amagba.

“Three weeks ago, we heard rumours that Amagba people wanted to come and attack us. My brother Gaius, who is to be installed as Odionwere, wrote letters to security agencies but they didn’t take any action. They came, killed many people and destroyed our buildings. They burnt down our houses even the house our people built in Obazagbon. They segregated our houses and burnt them down.

“Can you imagine somebody living in that area over 200 years ago. Our forefather was a great man, a hunter and a herbalist. That was why he was able to inhabit where animals stay. There are other families in the community.

“When they accused us of burning our houses, can a normal human being destroy his house? It is totally false to say we are recruiting thugs or non-natives to come and fight here. They came to destroy our village. It is Amagba people that are fighting us.

“We have not seen the corpses of those killed. We could not go back to our homes. They blocked everywhere and we have no access to our homes. It was the military that escorted us to get video clips.

“In 2012, Oba Erediauwa set up a panel and Chief Eduwu Ekhator reported that River Oroma was the boundary. If we want to install Odionwere, it is not Amagba that will approve it. It is the Oba.

“An Enogie has many villages under him. We are one of the villages under the Enogie of Obagie N’Evbuosa dukedom, based on the ruling of Oba Erediauwa. The river is separating us. It is a perpetual boundary there,” Emokpae said.

Commenting on the planned new city in the area, he said Governor Godwin Obaseki has not approached the owners of the land.

“We expect Obaseki to talk to Oke-Aroma people and not the other group. We expect him to do the needful and not pay our compensation to the wrong people. The way forward is to recognise us as the rightful owners of that place. We were in the village and had to run into the bush when the attackers came. Some ran into bush and others who could not run were killed. We are appealing to Oba Ewuare to dispatch the case and give the rightful owners. He is the only person that can solve this problem. Let him give judgement as soon as possible so that everybody will be at rest,” Emokpae said.

However, in his reaction, the youth leader of Amagba community, who was accused of leading the attack, Mr. Peter Owens, said there was nothing like Oke-Aroma community in that area, adding that there was peace in the area until Gaius Emokpae retired from the Central Bank of Nigeria and wanted to make it an autonomous community.

“That place is a camp under Amagba community. They have been living in peace until one Gaius Emokpae, who retired from the Central Bank of Nigeria and returned to the villlage. He is trying to change it to an autonomous community. That place is a camp. I grew up to know that place as a camp known as Ago-Emokpae.

“His father never dragged the place with Amagba. He was an Okao acting under  our Odionwere. We got judgement that we have boundary with Obagie N’Evbuosa.

“Gaius has money to do whatever he wants to do. They provoked us. We have our right to protect our property. The place they are calling Oke-Aroma is not a community. It is a camp. He is supposed to be punished by the Bini because he refused to adhere to the Oba’s ruling.

“They provoked people to what happened there. I don’t think we have done anything wrong in dragging our property. The father never quarrelled with Amagba. I was on my way from Lagos when I was called that an attack was taking place. I was never there during the attack.

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“The way to peace is for them to obey the rules and regulations of the Oba of Benin. There was no quarrel when the father was alive. We cannot fold our hands and see one man take our property. If he want to make money from land sales, he should tell us. There were only two houses in that camp.”

Also reacting to Oke-Aroma community’s claims, former Edo State governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, said Gaius was striving to be the “traditional head of a non-existent village.”

“What happened there was seriously blown out of proportion. Amagba people only took physical possession of their traditional rights without any injury to any of the parties then.

“Dislodging illegal occupants who indulge in illegal sale of our land, to me, is no crime. For your information, I am not involved in the crusade but by the virtue of the fact that my father is the traditional head of Amagba village, my name may be a recurring decimal.

“I can state categorically that I am a peace-loving citizen of Edo State who will not do anything to alter existing peaceful co-existence of people within my area of influence. Gaius Emokpae and his people in Ago-Emokpae only intend to drag my name into matters considering my political stand and status in the state”, Iduoriyekemwen said.

But the crisis between Amagba and Oke-Aroma has affected two other communities either as a result of affinity or by reason of their location.

For instance, the Enogie (Duke) of Obagie N’Evbuosa in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Stephen Imadonwinyi, said there was no Oba’s judgment in favour of Amagba as, according to him, Oke-Aroma, known as Emokpae camp, has always been a part of Obagie N’Evbosa.

He challenged Amagba to show any document wherein judgment was passed that Oke-Aroma belonged to them.

But the case Obazagbon village is different as it is caught in the cross-fire as a result of its location between Amagba and Oke-Aroma.

The community was deserted and inly a few youths and elders were seen when our correspondent visited. Barricades were mounted at the entrance of the community and road users were properly screened before they were allowed to proceed.

The Odionwere of the community, Mr. Vincent Edoigiawerie, said the village, surrounded by three rivers, has been used as a battle ground for neighbouring warring communities.

He said seven indigenes of the community have been kidnapped and their whereabouts unknown, stressing that the village has no business with the ongoing war but it has been under attack from armed youths.

“From the bank of the river, the entrance gate, you can see the tensed atmosphere in the community. It is unfortunate because we in Obazagbon are neutral in what is happening here.

“We are not aiding and abetting, because we are not Amagba and we are not Ago-Emokpae. We are surrounded by water. We have no dispute with other communities.

“For the past one year, whenever they are fighting, people would come here to terrorise our people. Last year, they destroyed our town hall and killed our people.

“The crisis connects Ago-Emokpae, Obagie N’Evbuosa and Amagba. They were fighting and trooped to our village. We didn’t know they harboured militants in our community.

“They shot some of our people. They were using Urhobo, Ijaw, Kwale and they passed through the river. They kidnapped seven persons.

“Last night, they came and attacked us. The Enogie of Obagie N’Ebvuosa said the Ago-Emokpae were his subjects. We are begging the government to tell them to leave us alone. Some of our young boys were injured. What connects them is not our business. They are using non-natives to fight us. We are appealing to the Oba to resolve the crisis,” he said.