Farmers, Gbolemotin Community Clash: Putting The Record In Right Perspective

Published

6 months ago

March 2, 2025

March 1st, 2025

PRESS RELEASE

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE CRISIS BETWEEN YORUBA FARMERS AND COMMUNITY INDIGENES IN OVIA SOUTH WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE.

Gbolemotin Community has seen several news items on the print and social media reporting the incidents that led to the recent crisis in the community, particularly the Edo State Government’s press release relating to the subject matter and it has become imperative to present the truth about the events that led to the unfortunate crisis.

THE ROOT OF THE CONFLICT
Gbolemotin is an autonomous Ijaw Community in Gbaran Clan, Siluko Ward, Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State and has lived peacefully with its neighbours over the years.
A few decades ago, Yoruba farmers encroached into our homeland and started planting cocoa trees. Initially, this did not create any issues as the Yoruba Farmers agreed to pay tokens for the areas they occupied while the indigenous farmers cultivated palm trees in the free areas allocated by the government for livelihoods. In the meantime, the Yoruba farmers focused on cocoa farming within the free access belonging to the Ijaws and beyond.

However, over time, the Yoruba farmers began expanding beyond the original areas they were allowed to plant, thereby encroaching on the free uncultivated lands reserved for Ijaw communities. Despite our repeated protests, they continued using their larger numbers and threats of Government powers to dominate the farmlands.

As tensions grew, the cocoa farmers started accusing Ijaw farmers of stealing their cocoa seeds- an allegation that was completely unfounded. They went further to prevent indigenes of Gbolemotin from passing through the roads and footpaths to other Ijaw communities. Whoever they see on the roads were labeled as thieves and beaten up with various degrees of injuries in the process. To enforce their dominance, they formed a vigilante group that frequently harassed our farmers including women returning from their farms with farm produce and leaves for wrapping cooked food. The indigenes are always molested and their harvests were seized. These acts of intimidation went unchecked largely because the local police in Iguobazuwa always take sides with the cocoa farmers and ignore our complaints.

The situation took a deadly turn last year when a young Ijaw man, a married man and father of children was murdered in his cold blood by the vigilante group while returning from a funeral in Jide Community. When an eyewitness of that incident accompanied delegation from one of the communities went to the police to report the killing and seek justice, he was unjustly arrested on false charges which further confirmed that the authorities were not on our side.

Not long after this, an Urhobo youth who climbed to harvest wild palm tree was shot down dead by a Yoruba vigilante and the matter was swept under the carpet by the police thus emboldening the Yoruba migrant farmers to continue in their intimidation.

THE RECENT TRIGGERS FOR THE VIOLENCE

On Thursday, 20th of February, 2025, a group of Ijaw farmers set out to their farms as usual but returned home hours later with various degrees of gunshot wounds. They reported that it was the cocoa farmers’ vigilante group that ambushed them, falsely accused them of stealing cocoa seeds and shot at them. Four of our people were killed in the attack while others barely escaped with severe injuries with eight persons still missing.

When the news of the attack reached the community, the youths were outraged and therefore mobilized to search for their missing brothers, hoping to rescue survivors of the onslaught. While the search was going on, the vigilante ambushed them again but this time the youths managed to repel the attack and successfully rescued two of the victims (survivors) who were earlier left for dead. At the end, we lost four of our youths, two of whose bodies were taken away by the murderous and escaping vigilantes led by one Igbala an Ikale man who is the head of the vigilante. Several other youths returned with gunshot injuries on that day and the community has been mourning till date.
It is necessary to point out that this same Igbala has been fond of using his powers as a vigilante to harass women, youths and children as they move daily on the earth roads without provocation.

OUR APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT

The narrative being pushed by cocoa farmers and widely reported in the media does not reflect the reality on ground because our people have been victims of intimidation, Land encroachment, intimidation and violence for years; yet our voices have gone unheard.

We therefore call on Edo State Government, security agencies and well meaning Nigerians to conduct a fair investigation into this matter and to understand that the Ijaw people of Gbolemotin have the right to live and farm on their lands in peace like every other indigenes of Edo State. we are not aggressors, we have only sought to protect our land, our lives and our livelihoods.
We appeal to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo to set up independent panel of inquiry to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the crisis in order to prevent future occurrence.
To assist the injured parties and rehabilitate those whose properties were destroyed.
We also call on security agencies to act swiftly on reports bothering on issues capable of escalating the matter into a full blown crisis
We seek justice; we seek fairness and most importantly seek peace and development.

SIGNED:

MR. SUNDAY EKEREKERE
Community Leader

CHIEF BOWEIKIRI
Community Elder