₦airaland Forum

The Chairman of Otu Notedoghewii, Group for the Protection of Benin Land, Pastor, Dr. Festus Osayemwenre Egharevba, has called on Binis, both at home and in the diaspora to sheathe their swords over raging issues between the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, CFR and certain Binis over artefacts rights.

In a about seven minutes video circulating in the internet, Pastor Egharevba highlighted the dangers of a sharp division amongst the people which could instigate a combustible internal crisis to the detriment of the people, even engulfing the nation.

In recent times the social media has been awash with allegations and counter-allegations on the Oba of Benin open vitriol attacks against former Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki which culminated in the open assault on a prominent Benin activist, Don Pedro Obaseki.

The advocate, who is also into prison reforms, appealed to well-meaning Benin personalities to intervene before it is too late.

Click the link below to view the full video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrVUknpY_ng?si=Bc7OKHQJVM_FCGEq
Kindly help to circulate to achieve a positive bearing.

Embattled Secretary of Agho-Ozomu community in Ovia Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State, Pastor Festus Osayemwenre Egharevba was released from the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Oko, Benin City late on Tuesday, 5th November 2024.

Stepping out of the Oko custodial centre he was warmly embraced by some members of his family and community after four months of incarceration.

A Benin criminal high court granted Pastor Egharevba bail in a one count charge of conspiracy to commit murder preferred against him three weeks earlier in a reproduction warrant. He however pleaded not guilty when the amended charge was read to him by the court.

it would be recalled that the AIG Zone 5 police arrested, detained and filed heinous criminal charges against the clergy based on a petition by some leaders of Igbobi community. The motley crowd of charges included kidnapping, gunrunning, promoting communal war, threatening life, malicious damage, attempted murder and conspiracy.

Newsmint learnt that the police wove a lot of intrigues in the case when investigation never went beyond the premises of zone 5 headquarters in Benin City, Edo State. The defendant had complained bitterly that he was framed in the case because he was a stumbling block to the neighbour Igbobi community"s attempt to take over her land resources.

It was a peculiar irony that certain police chieftains hurriedly pushed an incomplete investigation to court when a suit was filed at the Federal High Court against the police for violation of his fundamental rights. It was alleged that the police added armed robbery to his case when the investigation file was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) reluctantly and belatedly.

The DPP however after scrutiny dropped the spurious charges and condensed it to conspiracy to commit murder. It is baffling how one man could have singlehandedly carried out so many crimes at the same time. He was remanded on the 5th July 2024 after being picked up by the police in recycled petitions spanning the division to Abuja headquarters. It all happened shortly after the resilient pastor lost his wife.

The court adjourned sitting to enable the trial commence. Newsmint will closely monitor the trial as the case rolls on and the general public particularly stakeholders will look forward to the prosecutors proving a hard case of an offence that the defendant claimed never was while treating the actual offenders now turned complainants with kid gloves.

On Friday, 11th October 2024 at about 10.12am, residents of Agho-Ozomu Village, Ovia Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State were amazed when they saw three vans loaded with soldiers , including a machine gun mounted, enter their community with two Igbobi members alighting.

At the time of arrival, many elders of the village had gone to their various farmlands. So, many youths and a few elders still at home including women and children collected themselves and boldly approached the soldiers.

When they met the soldiers, led by senior commissioned officers, the visitors alleged they received a report that members of Agho-Ozomu community were terrorizing farmers from Igbobi village and prevented them entering their farms.

Newsmint gathered from impeccable sources within Agho-Ozomu that the residents denied the allegation and pitched the blame at the doorstep of Igbobi who had destroyed buildings and valuable crops when they forcefully trespassed and bulldozed large portions of their land.

The illegal layouts created by Igbobi has grew again into natural bushes so soon in the rainy season. The indigenes showed Newsmint a video recorded when the Abuja Police inspected the extensive damages wilfully carried out by Igbobi.

The incident took place from January to April 2024 in a gory experience where Igbobi youths and hired thugs drove the people of Agho-Ozomu from their land before police from Force CID, intervened for them to return home.

According to one resident, John Otefe, the new Okaighele (youth leader) of Igbobi, Mr Osazee Omoruyi, brought the soldiers to the village that is five kilometres apart from his. He (Okaighele) further claimed that there was a settlement agreement between them and the Odionwere (village head) of Agho-Ozomu permitting joint operation (selling) of the bush.

The people however claimed they were not aware of such arrangement as the Odionwere who lived in Benin City has not passed such decision to them.

The Nigerian Army officers who were taken aback on such development blamed Mr Omoruyi for giving them false information of settlement and that the Urhobos and Ukwuanis living there were now their obstacles.

The residents told the soldiers that Igbobi has been a torn in their flesh as the youths have been terrorizing them with arms and ammunition for many years and writing fictitious petitions
to the Police against their people.

They further alleged that the latest of such schemes is the one the community secretary, Pastor Festus Osayemwenre Egharevba was framed up with criminal charges of kidnapping, gun running, communal war, malicious damage, armed robbery and threatening life. He is being remanded by the High Court, Benin City at a facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The soldiers were guided round the community on a tour of the malicious damages promoted by members of Igbobi community in recent time.

After convincingly seeing things by themselves the soldiers advised both communities to keep the peace and resort to lawful means to sort out their differences.

Meanwhile, Newsmint learnt that Igbobi had secretly went to the 97 years old Odionwere of Agho-Ozomu, Pa Samuel Imade on three occasions to trick him to sign a document accepting truce and the collapse of Agho-Ozomu community and her structures into Igbobi as one entity.

The rigmarole was terminated when the youths mobilized and disrupted the exercise.

It was the video they made during the clandestine manipulation of a senile elderly that they took to the 4 Mechanized Brigade and hired soldiers with the intent of overrunning the indigenes who have been resisting their several annexation attempts.

Another source, Osayuwa Agho boldly told Newsmint when our reporter, Plus Ogbeide, visited the agrarian community that Igbobi community representatives tried to lure the nonegenarian that signing the peace accord would expedite the release of his nephew, Pastor Egharevba from prison custody.

Two days after their failed attempt to induce the soldiers to their advantage, they again rushed to Pa Imade in his Benin City residence begging him and inducing him with a lot of goodies such as erecting a building for him in the village, a luxury car and big cash if he agrees to unification.

But one of the old man's children objected and warned them to desist from their divide-and-rule tactics and embrace boundary demarcation for final peace. The Odionwere however girded himself and advised them to allow his secretary who was held in prison custody since July 5, 2024 regain freedom before knowing the way forward.

It appears that Igbobi community elders, youths and their land speculators are getting panicky because they have learned surely that the man they alleged so much against would soon get out of incarceration. This is probably why they were running helter-skelter to employ emergency measures to keep themselves afloat in their spurious claim to Agho-Ozomu community, gazetted by Western, Midwestern and Bendel state governments as an autonomous entity who they (Igbobi) say does not exist.

Since the armed clash between the two communities that took place on the 24th May 2024, Igbobi boys have found it very difficult to penetrate Agho-Ozomu bushes to illegally sell her farmlands in a matter that she took to the high court, Okada for adjudication since 2018. Their failure to secure the layouts they carved out in Agho-Ozomu for unsuspecting developers have created extreme pressure for themselves and loss of filthy income.

With about a week to the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election the secret plans of the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) to win the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) has come to light.

Newsmint has gathered credible information that Asue Ighodalo of the PDP will be having a hectic time squaring up with APC's Monday Okpebholo on Saturday, 21 September 2024 due to underhand tactics leaders of APC adopted.

APC stalwarts have found it extremely difficult to sell the Monday Okpebholo candidacy for obvious reasons. For instance, the enlightened electorates of Edo State have not been comfortable with him because of two major reasons.

The first is the excruciating economic burden the Bola Tinubu Federal Government has plunged the nation into since becoming the president of Nigeria on 29th May 2023. The pains inflicted on the citizenry because of poor economic policies had made Edos nay Nigerians bear animosities and grudges toward the APC candidate.

On the other hand, Okpebholo, the APC flagbearer has not been impressive in his public conversations creating serious doubts about his intellectual soundness and administrative capabilities. He goofed in simple utterances that even a primary school pupil could excel. A large proportions of Nigerians readily believe he is only a puppet needed to capture power.

Our probosis has revealed that the following strategies will be employed to cover the party's glaring shortcomings hook or crook before, during and after election.

1. APC has perfected plans to connive with INEC officials to starve and or delay voting materials to PDP strongholds while her areas of possible influence receive sufficient materials in earnest time.
2. To arrest and detain prominent PDP leaders few days to election thereby creating panic and serious disorganization and destabilization in their midst
3. To cause chaos in polling units PDP wins in order to make votes inconclusive or invalid in those areas.
4. To engage thugs to attack and intimidate PDP polling representatives on election day.
5. To storm collating centres in areas PDP wins with armed thugs in order to cause disruption of the electoral victory of PDP.
6. To bribe INEC officials before or on election day with intent to influence the vote results from polling centres.
7. To pump so much cash to voting centres to influence recalcitrant voters who would easily vote against APC.
8. To infiltrate PDP election representatives in order to gain victory at the polls
9. To operate within INEC and manipulate the results in INEC portal should it be put to use in this election.
10. To conspire with INEC in case the electronic voting is discarded and announce doctored electoral results whereby the usual GO TO COURT SYNDROME will be propagated.
11. Embarking on campaign of calumny against the party which they have already begun such as the frayed relationship with the Oba of Benin.

Our investigations for the past few weeks further revealed that APC chieftains are not perturbed by the open complaints of PDP stalwarts because they have made up their minds to overrun their opponents in a manner that has never been witnessed in Nigeria's elections.

The grave silence of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is an outright indication that he has done his well-known underbelly manipulations such as he did in the 2023 presidential election where INEC played dirty roles which provoked international backlash.

However, the public opinion as expressed in the street views of Edo people about the inflationary trend in the country such as low exchange rate of the Naira and high prices of fuel which correspondently affected all faces of human life shows a likely rejection of APC come 21 September 2024.

This Edo governorship election will serve as another litmus test for the country's steepy democracy. But pundits believe that President Bola Tinubu from all indications will not want to lose a very important Frontline state like Edo at least to bolster his stranglehold on Nigeria's polity against a reelection bid come 2027.

A visually -impaired Nigerian, whose identity was not known, was seen protesting in the streets of Benin City, the Edo State capital against the economic hardship in the country. The video, according to the man was recorded at a location in Uselu Shell area of the city.

In a two minutes, eleven seconds viral video obtained by Newsmint during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests begun on the 1st August 2024, the apparently blind Nigerian probably in his early thirties decried the extreme suffering bedeviling the people.

He said in a country that produces crude oil the cost of petroleum products which regrettably are imported the rich are feeding fat to the detriment of the majority. He likened the precarious situation to a state where there is a flowing river but no water to drink.

The obviously angry protester asserted that the reason he came out to join other millions of fellow countrymen despite his disability was to lend his voice to a growing cry of the general public for the government to intervene in the situation that has gone out of control.

The young man vowed to continue in the protests that had took the nation by storm in which there have been reported loss of lives and colossal damages to private and public properties until the government listen to the yearnings and aspirations of the people to bring down the cost of living.

It is left to Federal Government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to accede to the people's demands but from the national address broadcast on NTA and relayed by many other stations at 0700hrs on the 4th August 2024 it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Please watch this video and do share till it reaches those concerned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qcF9nHS_v0?si=guB4JMwnd5YALDSi

In what appears to be a peculiar display of leadership by animals like turkeys came up in a trending short video in the internet.

In the video which background showed the recording to be by a driver of a car who stopped to observe the highway code for crossing animals, saw a giant turkey stood with confidence on the middle of the road.

The bird spread out its wings watching and moving as the colleagues come from a pavement across the road to the right and walk past. The bird blocking traffic shifts position in response to the path taken by the turkey. Motorists on either side queue up watching the scene created.

From the video, nine turkeys walked past until the last before what could be addressed as the leader-turkey turned majestically and accompanied the last through to the right side of the road.

Distinguishing features of the common turkey are a long red fleshy ornament (called a snood) that grows from the forehead over the bill; a fleshy wattle growing from the throat; a tuft of coarse, black, hairlike feathers (known as a beard) projecting from the breast; and more or less prominent leg spurs. They usually move as a flock.

This particular video was evidently shot in Litchfield, a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,320. Litchfield is a small rural town with a rich history and close-knit community.

Watch the video from the link below:
https://youtube.com/shorts/h274vlxUG-g?si=5F7DygXXrR0cDaPk

What lessons can you learn from the video especially in the Nigeria leadership setting? Don't hesitate to make fair comments.

The family of Pastor Festus Osayemwenre Egharevba, the incarcerated Secretary of Agho-Ozomu and members of the community in Ovia Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State has cried out to relevant authorities to come to their rescue from the hands of AIG Zone 5 headquarters.

They made a strong allegation against the zonal police that certain top officers has conspired together to tamper with evidences in order to nail the founder of Amazing Dawn Gospel Ministry, Benin City. They also accused the gullible officers of deliberately clinging on to the case file by failing to transmit it to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP as required by the law in serious crimes like kidnapping, attempted murder and promotion of communal war preferred against the pastor.

The core functions of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) include prosecution of those charged by the police and other investigative agencies with criminal offences while upholding, protecting and promoting human and constitutional rights.

However, in this scenario the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, zone 5 has failed, refused and or neglected to duplicate the file and forward it to the DPP for legal advice since July 5 when Pastor Egharevba was arraigned in the high court and remanded in prison.

Because of this deliberate act tongues are wagging that the AIGP, Mr Arungua Udo Nwauzei and the DCP, Zonal CID. Mr Faniyan Ayodeji with whom the detainee had a clash last March when he wrote an indicting petition against him for vested interest are seeking a pound of flesh.

It was gathered by Newsmint within the police that the Agho-Ozomu representative faulted the actions of Ayodeji for also charging him to court then without investigating igbobi's petition such as failing to visit scene of crime, search for or recovery of gun, delving into land matters that was before a court of competent jurisdiction, asserting that it was possible for him to be in Igbobi bush committing crime with others on a date just six days after he buried his late wife and determining that he was not an indigene of Agho-Ozomu village simply because he hails from the motherline.

The clergyman was arrested and detained since the 27th June 2024 on wild allegations by Igbobi community of being involved in kidnapping, malicious damage, attempted murder, gun-running and promoting communal war at the same time. JUST ONE MAN AGAINST ALL?

The intrigue in the case is the inability of the complainants to establish or prove any iota of truth in their motley crowd of criminal allegations against him yet the Police capitalized on the privilege of owning powers to investigate and prosecute to charge Pastor Festus Egharevba to court.

For instance, there was no available evidence of a kidnapped victim, ransom demanded, gun recovered from him or involvement in any malicious damage whereas the story was the other way round.

Our investigation revealed that on the 24th May 2024, Pastor Festus received many telephone calls in the morning from inhabitants and elders that Agho-Ozomu was under armed siege by her Igbobi neighbour.

When the calls became constant he called on the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Funsho Adegboye and the Commander, 4 Mechanized Brigade, Brigadier-General Oduyebo to rescue his people at home. They promptly responded and the joint team intervened and arrested six members of Igbobi community including three hired thugs.

The army, who took custody of the assailants handed them over to the State CID in Benin City after a preliminary investigation of about a week which yielded arms and ammunition from the culprits. The State Police however released the suspects immediately because it used a pending Igbobi petition at the CP's Surveillance Unit to receive them.

But as CP Adegboye became aware of the underhand manipulations going on he ordered that Igbobi produce the suspects and both parties come before him to an interview for further evaluation.

When Igbobi people saw that their dirty chess game was unraveled they ran as usual to a willing and supportive AIG Zone 5 Headquarters with a petition This resulted in the State Command transferring the case and Pastor Festus Egharevba to the zone but without the suspects.

The counter-petition by Agho-Ozomu community also to the CP had made both parties complainants and suspects at the same time. Igbobi only went to the Adesuwa Road headquarters with the elders hoping to enjoy free ride as the new complainants.

However, the officer-in-charge of the Admin section that handled the petition asked the investigatiing police officer, IPO. one Inspector Nosa, who treated it initially at the CP's Surveillance to return back until he produce the suspects released on bail.

Our correspodent, Peter Osaigbovo, further gathered that the Agho-Ozomu Secretary was allowed to go home. He daily submitted himself at the police zonal office until 27th July when the Deputy Commissioner, Zonal CID, Mr Faniyan Ayodeji personally came down from his storey office to receive him and ordered his detention. He was unwilling to allow the detainee, who was recently bereaved of his wife to receive medical treatment in his failing health even when he collapsed.

Grapevine sources within the police says that Mr Faniyan Ayodeji and the AIGP are angry with Pastor Egharevba because he sued them at the Federal High Court, Benin City in their official and private capacities for violating his fundamental human rights together with some elders of Igbobi community after refusing him bail. Ordinarily when a case is before a court the respondents ought to respond to it first before any other action.

But as soon as they received the court summons they hurriedly arranged an interview superintended by the AIG himself where he lashed at the clergy for being in the habit of writing petitions and that his resort to the army on the 24th May was only a selfhelp. The police did not bother to visit both communities for the on-the-spot assessment to know the real offenders but adopted armchair investigation and compilation of case file within its premises. All the alibi adduced by the defendant were ignored.

Even though the Divisional Police Officer of Evbotubu Division who the CP, Edo State asked to respond with his men on receipt of an SOS came, wrote a statement and testified before the AIG at the interview exonerating Pastor Festus Egharevba of being near any of the communities and pointing accusing fingers at Igbobi where the police and soldiers encountered over 100 persons fully armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, the AIG instructed Mr Faniyan Ayodeji to press charges against him immediately.

When Newsmint sought the opinion of some legal experts who claimed that failing to transmit a case file where a suspect has been charged to court and remanded is a violation of the fundamental right of a citizen, a flagrant abuse of police powers and an unwillingness to prosecute which is subject to an abrupt ruling in the court if the suspect's counsel pressed on.

A member of the Agho-Ozomu community, Mr Simon Ojo alleged that they are appalled that Igbobi vigilante and thugs were the ones who carried out three consecutive attacks on them in one day, yet the police chose to turn a blind eye with monumental evidences against them.

Another indigene, Mr Moses Okiemute claimed the unassailable facts provided by Pastor Festus Egharevba could only earn the Igbobi suspects low charges which are easily bailable while punishing the innocent with a,felonious and unbailable offence like kidnapping that never took place. According to him they just did that for a face-saving purpose since the target was their man who has stood as a solid defence for many years against igbobi's attempt to overrun a community five kilometres away.

A Benin based legal practitioner who asked Newsmint not to disclose his identity opined that in this particular case the primary suspects, if really there was a kidnap, should have been those who went with the alleged victim to the bush before looking elsewhere. He also asked if the allegation was incidented in the nearest police station and what was the action taken by the police against the suspect before forwarding a petition to the Commissioner of police.

A family source who craved anonymity says their bread-winner languishing in jail without trial got into trouble when he refused to accept the twenty plots dangled at him in December 2023 by Igbobi leaders to ditch Agho-Ozomu for a joint sale of Ozomus communal lands. One Mr John Enobakhare, his uncle and a retired DSS Assistant Director, an ACP equivalent, who defected to Igbobi last year persuaded him to accept the carrots to no avail. He is now leading the onslaught on his native land, Ozomu. For being adamant the activist-pastor has incurred at least six petitions and arrests this year alone.

Another Ozomu indigene who gave his namel simply as Osahon told Newsmint that the case was already being treated by the Force CID, Abuja based on a petition by the counsel to Agho-Ozomu to the Inspector-General of Police in April protesting the conduct of Mr Faniyan Ayodeji in the matter.

Igbobi however failed to honour a written invitation to Abuja on 30th April 2024 after an investigation commenced with a scene of crime visit to Agho-Ozomu to record the four months colossal damages brazenly carried out by Igbobi invaders, see attached videos made available by them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbsgEZ0xtdA?si=_9ePOE5My_31rk2t
FCID investigators inspecting one of large oil palm plantations destroyed by Igbobi invaders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0ZYT5mD2ko?si=oCYp638FRxS2nJUN
Indigenes taken FCID inspectors through cassava farms destroyed at Agho-Ozomu.

Instead the helpers and proppers in the police force encouraged Igbobi with a vicious circle by recycling the same old petition all over.

All efforts to obtain a response from the Zone's PRO failed to yield result at the time of going to press.

Can somebody advise the violent men of Igbobi Community, Ovia North-East LGA of Edo State that it's foolhardy to try to attack Agho-Ozomu Community again after FCID intervention that brought about peace!
So there are some people who believe they can achieve their evil cause by use of firearms?
Matter dey court, matter dey Abuja Police. NA WAO, it appears others are living for them!
See some extent of the destruction: https://www.facebook.com/100024774453628/posts/pfbid0TeMem2LkhBHWn9PPcS7SLzoDM9FvDYvuEjwePVEEXRJGuTjG4maKiWjnVCZuFK9Rl/?app=fbl

On the 3rd September 2022, the people of Obazuwa, Ovia Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State woke up to a stark reality to find buildings springing up on their land left and right on the Obazuwa-Ikoro Road at Agbonmoba junction area.

The Ijaws of Ikoro are traditional fisher men and women and local gin, ogogoro, distillers but in recent years suddenly rediscover themselves to be at a loss after avoiding land for centuries when modern development failed to befall them.

Ikoro is a village located at the banks of Ovia River which for centuries was under the authority and control of Binis until 1986. A conflict arose between the Binis and Ijaws over a rubber plantation destroyed by the latter to pave way for a new road to link the hill and the riverside. Both sides lost one man each.

The result was the Binis fleeing their populated hillside and the gradual decline of Bini population of the waterside where the Binis had also been the Odionwere, village head. The hillside was called Ikoro-noke which the Binis in their characteristic slanting manner pronounced Ikonoke.

The Ijaws in anger destroyed the traditional oguedion (elders" chamber) and ikhinmwin tree, botanically referred to as newbouldia laevis, symbols of Bini authority over a community. They did this to obliterate every trace of Benin presence.

Before now the ijaw population was negligible as the Itsekiri was the dominant language after Edo. But the Ijaw-Itsekiri conflict of the late 1990's gave room for the former to overclimb the latter. Since then the village forceful administration came under Ijaw amakosuwei.

As soon as the Bini mud buildings dilapidated the Ijaws swooped on the hill to erect modern living structures as the riverside had small space for human growth, especially the ravaging erosion caused by an unfriendly river. So, they expanded towards Obazuwa as the house became rat's because the cat had left the home.

So this is how the ambition of the Ijaws to conquer more territories in modern times became audacious to make forays into Obazuwa farmland.

On June 3, 2011 the boldest attempt came when the Ikoro Ijaws attacked a Benin party mapping out land to accommodate a state model secondary school approved by the former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The project was influenced to the community by the late Enogie, HRH Prince Edun Akenzua, MFR.

The foolish action in which three Obazuwa men were abducted and taken to Ijaw's touted egbesu (war god) shrine, tethered and flogged mercilessly with machetes while properties in Obazuwa were damaged resulted in about nine years tortuous legal prosecution at an Okada magistrate court. Six Ikoro Ijaws, at the end, were convicted and given a six months sentence for their evil conspiracy.

In December 2020 another attack was also launched over a burrow pit where some Ijaws brought in a bulldozer under armed cover to be excavating sands forcibly. The matter also went before the police up to Abuja headquarters.

The most dastard of it all was the unbridled combat invasion of Obazuwa on the 6th August 2021 when a combined and well marshalled attack by militants from far and near was carried out under heavy gun shelling that lasted three days. At the end, one old man, Michael Igbinovia, was murdered, several persons seriously injured, looting and arson on cars, shops and buildings pervaded the serene community.

The warlike conduct, extensively reported in the conventional Nigerian media and social networks, is still under police investigation for almost two years in which no offender has been brought to book. The matter has gone through all police strata to no avail. The casualty is yet to be released for burial.

Newsmint, when her reporter, Pius Orobosa, visited the ancient Benin village he found some of the youths agitating that the police revisit the August 6, 2021 attack for justice to be done.

Now, while the people of Obazuwa are mourning their Enogie who recently passed on and preparations are in top gear to bury the Benin Prince, the Ikoro Ijaws have perfected another scheme to commit another heinous attack on the village.

The ijaws forcibly entered an area in legal dispute in an Okada high Court against some land developers and are now erecting buildings in flagrant violation of the law and normal human sense.

It would be recalled that Ikoro have been making peace overtures for quite some time which resulted in both sides making a visit to the popular Agbonmoba village junction a week ago where the boundary area is.

The Ijaws impressed it on Obazuwa to refrain from carrying out construction work on the area till the dispute is resolved. They claimed that the area covering about three kilometres Agbonmoba junction to the thickset bamboo trees near the Enogie's fishpond fence belonged to them.

More irritating was the revelation that they admitted having sold almost the entire stretch already. In fact, some months ago Obazuwa stumbled on Ikoro men secretly surveying her land which almost resorted to a fight if not for the restraint exercised by the Binis.

Though the Binis notwithstanding the offensive attitude kept their own side of the bargain the Ijaws few days later entered Obazuwa farmland and erected cement block structures in three different places on both sides of the Obazuwa-Ikoro road from Agbonmoba junction.

Newsmint gathered from impeccable sources that the reason they did this is to give them an edge to negotiate from the point of already occupying the vicinity when arguing ownership. This, perhaps, would permit them to insist on having to halve the long stretch which is the usual practice they have learnt from Benin communities where Ijaw youths had acted as egbe wedgers, hired armed mercenaries.

It is being feared in some quarters that this may be another palaver that could explode into another war between the Binis and Ijaws if not quickly nipped in the bud.

Newsmint have carried out a deep investigation that one of the undertone incursion is being aided by Ijaw long-term ambition to entrench an imposter traditional ruler, Godwin Oguyeibo, as pere of a non-existing Olodiama kingdom. He was illegally installed about five years ago and has been brazenly celebrating the illegal stool despite the Edo State Government declaring him wanted.

In fact, the neighbour Agbonmoba village has almost been annexed and suffering Ijaw suffocation for many years. Sources from the very serene village is that the Ikoro Ijaws have been a torn in their flesh because of constant overbearing trouble that they owns Agbonmoba. In fact their oguedion and it's paraphernalia was tampered with while layouts were created on their land.

The sudden and overambitious character and disposition of the Ijaws to annexe Benin villages when they had abhorred land for centuries has become too worrisome. It is also feared by Obazuwa indigenes that the illegal actions of the Ijaws is to disrupt the forthcoming State burial of their foremost Enogie (Duke), HRH Prince Edun Akenzua in October 2022.

Itt was hectic time for commuters plying the Benin-Sapele Road from various parts of the country when protesters laid siege on the road for several hours.

As early as 8am on Wednesday, 3rd August 2022 residents in Ogheghe community and environ poured out on to the ever-busy federal highway barricading both ends of the dual carriage way. They chanted hostile songs against the Federal government for the neglect and abandonment of an all-important road linking the north and south west parts of Nigeria to the south-south.

The road was blocked at the bye-pass vicinity where many motorist's divert from the high traffic Benin City centre to connect the Lagos and northern highways.

Surprisingly, the protests had degenerated as it entered the third day with more sympathisers joining the fray.

The protesters alleged that for over one year the highway authorities have failed and neglected to respond to constant pleas to rehabilitate the road. Earlier this year protesters obstructed traffic for days. This prompted Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to visit them and assured them of the state intervention in few days. But when men and equipment were mobilized to the failed site the Federal authorities truncated it by insisting that the road maintenance does not fall within the state purview.

In Nigeria there have been acrimonies between the federal and various state governments over control on the maintenance of federal highways that crisscrossed the states. In the past states intervened in road sections that passed through their domain sending huge bills for settlement. At the end quarrels usually broke out as federal officials see them as meddling in their affairs.

Newsmint learnt from reliable sources that the reason federal officials rejected the state offer is the political undertone it would portend. They feared that such rescue effort could be used in future for cheap political gains.

Another possible reason may not be unconnected with personal gains government officials derived from overseeing the rehabilitation works.

However, stakeholders berated the lack of a maintenance culture at all levels which neglect important public properties until they get out of hand. When it does pains are inflicted on innocent Nigerians at great cost including avoidable deaths and subsequent high cost of maintenance

Although the protests had quickly brought promises of federal intervention commuters say it is one of those gimmicks Nigerians are acquainted with when harsh reactions come from the public.

A clergy man, Pastor Festus Osayemwenre Egharevba, Overseer of Amazing Dawn Gospel Ministry, Benin City and Chairman of Otu Notedoghewii, Group for the Protection of Benin Land, has advocated widescale war on land grabbers in Edo State.
He believes that unless the generality of the people of the State engage the criminals in direct confrontations they may not withdraw from their atrocities.
According to the Man-of-God land grabbers have become engrossed in the illegal act because they benefit immensely from it. He therefore pushed for drastic actions by the people themselves to root out the menace of land grabbers from the various communities.
Surprisingly the pastor said prayers are not the only means of bringing down the evil which is paramount in southern parts of Edo State.
See more of his militant call in this video link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEAKDmNzZpk

Six Agho-Ozomu Heroes yesterday regained freedom after seventeen days unlawful detention at the Anticultism Unit of Edo State Command headquarters in Benin City. This was sequel to the petition by the community to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State, Philip Ogbadu.
Igbobi village, Ovia Northeast Local Government Area wrote a frivolous petition against the neighbour Agho-Ozomu, recycling the same allegations of the village at Police formations in Alagbon Close, Lagos, Zone 5, Benin City and Abuja Force Headquarters under different lawyers.
The Police fraudulently obtained a two week detention order from the High Court, Benin City on the 3rd September 2021 less than twenty four hours of arrest to investigate the case but used it to indulge in hide-and-seek game to trump up charges of armed robbery, gun-running, promoting intercommunal war, arson, malicious damages, etc.
Thrice did Anticultism Unit charge the case to court on amended charges, thrice were they frustrated, yet they didn't learn any lesson. Even when the vacation high Court judge declined to entertain the suit and ordered a grant of administrative bail the police however refused to comply.
When they learnt of a damning petition from Agho-Ozomu to the Commissioner the Unit hurriedly packaged another charges and headed for Okada on the 14th September despite the officer-in-charge being duly served with a signal to reasign the case to another department.
The scheming policemen had tried to push it through the obscure Ekiadolo magistrate court the previous day but met a brick wall as the court did not sit. Students of University of Benin had staged massive protests for two consecutive days against the school's authorities over fees increase blocking the highway route to the court.
There was no gun found on them, no visit to the alleged scenes of crime with the suspects, no home searched, no parties' interview with a superior officer, no identification parade, incomplete defendants' statements etc.
The Commissioner of Police intervened at the niche of time to save a sinister motive as he ordered the Investigators back to Benin City while defendants were already in the court hall. THIS IS DIVINE!
The officer-in-charge of the unit has been dropped after an enlarged interview the CP personally conducted. He further ordered a thorough investigation into the case of attempted murder on two Agho-Ozomu indigenes. The policemen who went on the invasion operation to Agho-Ozomu are currently facing interrogation. No one is above the law. The CP is indeed a calm but an astute police officer.
It would be recalled that the Anticultism Unit has been a trouble bed to Ogbadu as the officers have been acting outside the ambit of the force. The special department set up to tackle the high rate of cultism in Edo has gone outside its mandate to get involved in extraneous matters like the lucrative community disputes for ulterior reasons.
This is a kind of revolution that should be supported by many to cleanse the Nigerian system in all ramifications of indiscipline and corruption.
On no account should intimidation, ignorance weakness or whatever overrun our collective will to attain a virile and an egalitarian society. The Almighty God revealed to a Man of God some years ago that: 'The bane of African leadership is their inability to defend the will of the people.'

In recent times the number of deaths has increased in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, mid-south Nigeria. It is reported frequently of death of youths in different parts of the city without authorities in the state doing anything to arrest the ugly trend.
Lifeless bodies are found lying in blood pool on roads, street corners, uncompleted buildings, bushes and other places. It looks like people are now living in the jungle where the stronger animals devour their weaker mates. Life is no longer sacred, but is gruesomely terminated on the slightest provocation.
It's no longer news that rival cultists engage in street fights brandishing weapons like guns, battle axes, sticks, etc to assert superiority over one another. In the process, they get injured and some are killed.
Discreet investigations carried out revealed that the inter-cult war began when members of opposing groups were involved in personal quarrels. It could emanate from struggle over girls, drinking brawl or mere ego boost. They would threaten one another and boast of their cult connections. Attacks are clandestinely organized to 'treat' the 'action of their offenders to create fear and gain respect within the locality. The victim reports the treatment meted to him to his cult who rally round to defend him. This is what led to brutal deaths and vicious serial killings.
It is well known that the mode of initiation into the different cults in Nigeria is terrible. Confessions from apprehended cultists by the police or those bold enough to renounce their membership point to one direction - violence. Existing members approach a target who is talked into it like the Christian evangelists, promising protection or deliverance when in trouble. If he or she declines to be enrolled they look for a way to coerce him or her into the confraternity.
This include but not limited to intimidation, blackmail, hostage and attacks. For instance, he is regularly harassed or severely beaten even without provocation. When this becomes
unbearable he succumbs to pressure. He dare not report to the police. If he did, it means he incurs death sentence which could lead to being hunted until he falls into their net.
At initiation, the initiate is roundly beaten known in their parlance as 'balming'. Balming is to infuse fearlessness, mercilessness and sheepish or coward obedience to his superiors. The female folks are raped in turns to harden their hearts to carry out delicate assignments. Sometimes the initiates' health become aggravated or may even die if they could not cope with the rigours of the initiation. Cultists were known to bear tattoos on peculiar parts of the body for identification but have desisted because it easily gives them away when they run into police trouble. The anti-cultism section of the police is usually hard on them when they get into police net.
Moreover, cultists are ready tools in the hands of Nigerian politicians who employ them into their game of illegally acquiring power by deploying them to elections which are unfortunately adjudged free, fair and credible. The weapons illicitly assigned to cultists during elections find their way into the society and become ready instruments of brutality and subjugation in terms of kidnapping and armed robbery.
In the previous administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole the government normally bring the leaders of the various cult groups to a roundtable where they are talked into and financially induced to halt the killing rage. The leaders in turns dish out instructions to their followers who obey them without complaint. It bred more rascality and audacity to do more evil and chieftains benefitted immensely. Unfortunately, the current government of Godwin Obaseki is looking the other way, so they freely unleash a wave of terror on the members of the public. It is not ideal to pamper any group but the present government has failed to churn out policies and framework that will discourage cultism. Keeping quite for the hostile cults to sought out things by themselves can be interpreted as acquiescence. The situation is worsened by the inability of the police to settle down for its statutory function of crime prevention and bursting. Aftermath of the #ENDSARS nationwide protests has left in their trails a docile police unable to find the circadian rhythm to perform its primary purpose of adequate protection of the society.
Cultism create a vicious circle which aggravates the original condition when you attempt to ameliorate it. Youths who are readily acknowledged as leaders of tomorrow are being groomed in violence of darkness. How can products of brutality give birth to leaders of compassion and tolerance and vision when the breeding ground is tainted with moral corruption?
The nation is in serious trouble as those in authority appear not to be concerned or doing nothing or so little about it because many are equally products of cultism. In such case you shouldn't expect the bicycle thief to be willing to catch someone who stole fish. The menace has eaten deep into the fabric of society and is now a cankerworm and a corrosive element. There are no adequate legislation nationally or in the states to deal with this hydra-head or measures put in place to pull it down. Like in the words of Frantz Fanon, an Algerian born French philosopher: "Each generation must out of relative obscurity discover its mission: fulfil it or betray it." It is a pity that this current generation don't know its direction and mission, both leaders and followers alike.

What do you think? Don't hesitate to give your opinion, like and follow us for more incisions and do share to reach a wider audience.

It was hell let loosed when indigenes of Obazuwa in Ovia Northeast Local Government Area of Edo State on the 17th December 2020 at about 5pm suddenly saw two Toyota Sienna cars screeched to a halt at the centre of the main street in the community. The drivers made u-turns and started shooting at different directions. The people were scared to their wits and scampered for safety, some getting injured in the process. The residents did not know what was responsible for the sudden attack, and as such had to seek safety first. It was like a Boko Haram phenomenon that is often replicated in northern Nigeria.
Some of the women flapped their breasts, took their children and ran into the bushes. The guns continued booming. An old man who was seated and resting his back against a pear tree made effort to leave the open space fast but slipped and fell heavily as a result of the heavy downpour the previous night. Elsewhere, two streets were completely devoid of human activities and many fled to neighbouring Igbobi, Egbaen and Evbolekpen communities.
But some courageous young ones went closer to observe the situation and identify the assailants as Ijaws from nearby Ikoro. They came into the village from their end and seized the intersection by the Enogie of Obazuwa, HRH Prince Edun Akenzua’s palace just before you enter the village from Ikoro. Soon the news circulated round the village of the presence of militants but the citizens could not do anything in opposition for fear of being casualties. They bestrode the streets like a colossus and embarked on beating up those they could lay their hands on, women and children, using cutlasses and akai, the traditional Ijaw fishing spear.
However, some relatively small Obazuwa elements summoned courage to raise the alarm from a safe distance and started a feeble resistance. There was a combination of force by many residents including non-indigenes because the Ijaws were up to something sinister.
Retrospectively, on the 3rd day of June 2011 when Obazuwa men were demarcating a portion of land measuring 3000 square feet they were pounced upon suddenly. No exchange of hot words, the Ijaws descended on them with machetes, fishing spears (akai), automatic guns and sticks. At the end of the attack, one Obazuwa man sustained a deep cut on his arm and lost two veins that were stitched at the hospital, six motorcycles were destroyed while many in the village sustained other degrees of injuries. three were abducted and taken down to Ikoro and tied down at the egbesu (war deity) shrine and beaten to a pulp. The Ijaws took the trio later to the town hall and flogged them mercilessly with the cutlass; one of them, an elderly, fainted when he couldn’t bear the punishment any longer. The abductors placed a four litre jerrycan of petrol and a box of matches by their sides. While they were about taking them away to be burnt a police team arrived with an overpowering gun duel. The police came in the niche of time and rescued them from evil men. Six men arrested in the process were charged to Okada Magistrate court and given a five month sentence each.

So the boys vowed never to allow such condition befall them anymore which the previous episode took them unaware. The hunters mobilized their dane guns and knockouts and begin to fire back at them. Thanks to the mobile system of telephone, news circulated quickly among the indigenes living in Benin City and Binis generally in communities in the Benin/Ekehuan axis that Ijaws have invaded Obazuwa, the seat of an Enogie (duke). In about an hour succour came the away of the besieged serene village. When the attackers saw that they couldn’t gain control of Obazuwa they withdrew and went back to Ikoro. Their fireworks went into the dead night before there was relative calm.
By the following morning, 18th December 2020 the Benin solidarity increased and much daring boys had arrived to fortify the place. The road from Benin City leading through the village centre has been barricaded, no human or vehicular activities was allowed in order not to jeopardize the people’s safety as it was an emergency situation. The police was duly informed but no help came their way, they complained of the usual ‘lack of logistics. The Ijaw youths have been rushing home on motorbikes to join their own to reinforce their assault. So the inhabitants took their corporate destiny in their open hands. Ikoro Ijaws were locked in and out because it it is the only major accessible route except they have to make detour through the river from Ekehuan, Iboro or Gelegele which are tortuous journeys.
That morning, Godwin Oguyenbo, who the Ijaws forcibly installed as pere of Olodiama on November 14, 2017 appeared in his executive car from Ikoro, which meant he slept overnight in his village and was quite aware of the heavy guns his people used on Obazuwa. The Binis blocked his movement and he said: “If there is a war between Obazuwa and Ikoro it must have been caused by Abu,” an agent soliciting the purchase of a wide dimension of land on behalf of a popular religious organization which went deep into Obazuwa territory by Enogie’s fence and Oru Lake. Obazuwa had resisted this move by her neighbours to trade off ancient landmarks without their knowledge and permission. The impostor traditional ruler who was declared wanted by Edo State Government appealed to the youths to take it easy and after much plea the barricades were removed to allow him a safe passage.
It would be recalled that in the wake of the attempt by Ijaws to install Godwin Oguyenbo as a traditional ruler in Benin Kingdom where the Oba hold maximum sway the Edo State Government had described as "egregiously abominable sacrilegious and criminal, the planned coronation of one Godwin Ogunyenbo as the “Pere of Olodiama Kingdom,” in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.” The Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, Esq said: “the pronouncement constitutes an unprecedented affront to the long-settled culture, traditions and norms of our people.”
But he has been parading himself in regalia not befitting his acclaimed office which has violated extant provisions of the Chieftaincy Law of the State without government enforcing legal violations. The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, is seemed to be having a soft spot for the Ijaws because of the well known affinity of his wife, Betsy, with Ikoro Ijaws.
About thirty minutes after Ogunyenbo was given a safe passage, the Ijaws unleashed a greater dimension of sophisticated gun attack on Obazuwa. Those whose positions were threatened withdrew and repelled the renewed assault. It was like a war zone. But the Ijaw combatants did not move close which could have inflicted causalities on either side. The Binis were determined not to lose their positions because it would have created room for pandemonium as the assailants were ready to burn down properties. The Binis knew the Ijaw trick that normally prevents their opponents from returning to their abode. Obazuwa responded with adequate blockade including denying them of essentials of life which they cannot derived from the river.
Meanwhile, some level-headed Ijaws waded in and came to Obazuwa as peace makers. Initially they were not received but the appeal of a peculiar young man, Olu Priye, softened the hearts of the youths and the tense situation relaxed. He has been singularly acknowledged for brokering peace each time conflict arose. The delegation assured them that such brigandage will never occur again as they shuttled between both villages to cool frayed nerves. The Ijaws knew holding on to their attacks will put them in greater jeopardy and promised to bring it upon their youths not to make those forays into Obazuwa farms again.

However, another appalling issue is the connivance of Evbolekpen which had complicated the area of land her Enogie sold to a Lekki, Lagos based agro-allied company. The firm deployed a bulldozer to create layouts on Obazuwa crop farms thereby sparking reactions from the citizens.
Obazuwa accused Evbolekpen of recruiting the Ijaws to fight her. It was while the matter was being investigated that one Ama Sibete took earth moving equipments by night under armed escort to be excavating sands from Obazuwa's Utugberu area gazetted by Edo State.