From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A group, Talakawa’s Parliament (TP) has called on the acting Inspector General of Police, DIG Usman Alkali Baba, to investigate an alleged attack resulting in the shooting and demolition of property worth millions of naira in Uzebu community in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
The President of the group, Kola Edokpayi, made the call during a press briefing in Benin City.
He alleged that on February 28, the former youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osakpanmwan Eriyo, led some youths to the community to inflict injuries on some persons and destroy property worth millions of naira belonging to the people of the community.
He also alleged that the matter has since been reported to the police for prompt action yet nothing has been done, rather three of the sons of the community were detained by the police.
‘That some of the indigenes of Uzebu community invited and arrested by the police are Fidelis Owen (Secretary), Martins Obakpolor, Sunday Ogbonmwan and Victor Omorogbe,’ he said.
Edokpayi appealed to the acting Inspector General of Police to wade in and ensure that those arrested are released while a large scale investigation should be carried out on the said attack on the people of the community.
Reacting to the allegation, the former APC youth leader, Osakpanmwan, said he never led any person to the community to harass or to destroy their property, rather it was Owen and and his group that went to vandalise his hotel and his personal office.
‘The property that these people damaged was bought genuinely during the time when CDA was in place in the state. As that time, the person in question, Fidelis Owen, was the youth chairman of that community as at the time I bought those property.
‘The hotel that they went to destroy, I bought it, the office they also destroyed, I bought it from that same community including the land they are also talking about which is 200×1000.’
He added that what led to the destruction of his property was because he refused to give out parts of the land which they sold to him.
‘Surprisingly, in December 2020, I had a phone call from those whom I allowed to be farming on my land that some persons from the community have encroached on my land and that they are asking them to leave the land and I said well, when I come to Benin, I will try and see them.
‘And actually, when I came back from Abuja, I went to see them to know what the issues are.
‘So, when I got there they said the property I bought that time the money I paid was too small and that if I don’t give them parts of the land, they are going to take all the land from me,’ he said.
Osakpanmwan called on the law enforcement agencies to help him bring those who vandalised his hotel and office to book.
