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Okomu Oil Company Host Communities Protest Over Maltreatment, Harassment

Published

3 years ago

January 31, 2021

Accuse Company Of Blocking Their Road

Our Fishing Traps Seized By Okomu Oil – Communities

Host communities of Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, yesterday, held a peace protest against what they tagged marginalisation and ill-treatment by the oil palm company.

The protesters drawn from the host communities of Gbelebu, Safargbo, Okomu, Oweike, Maikolo, etc, carried placards bearing inscriptions such as: ‘Govt tell Okomu Oil Company to open our road’; ‘Okomu Oil Company give us our fishing traps that are with you’; ‘stop polluting our stream with your agro chemical, it is our only source of drinking water’; ‘we are not terrorists, stop harassing us with military, Okomu Oil’, accused the company of blocking and positioning fiece looking military men on the only road that links them to Udo.

The protesters also acussed Edo State government of selling the whole land wherein they farm to the company thereby enslaving them, just as they lamented that they have no where to farm anymore in their land.

READ ALSO: NIN: CSO Drags FG To Court

Speaking to the press shortly after the protest, the Fiyewei (spokesperson) of Okomu clan, Chief Sunday Ajele, said it quite unfortunate that government of Edo State has joined in the enslavement of the people with continuous sales of the land wherein the natives farm to a foreign company.

L-R: Chief Gbadiagha Obeke, the Tunwei of Safaragbo; High Chief Enoch Sulubor, the Amananaowei of Gbelebu; Chief Sunday Ajele, the Fiyewei (spokesperson) of Okomu and Chief Wuluku Wilson of Okomu, addressing the press shortly after the protest.

“The state government sells the land to multinational where this forest people farm and even trade. If you sell the land to multinational, where do you want these people to survive? Ordinarily, we expected the state government to come to the aide of these host communities and question this multinational why the ill-treatment but unfortunately, the state government has joined them in the enslavement.

“A country that has constitution, it is unfortunate that the constitution is not working. A country with laws yet the law is not working. The law protects only the rich while the poor who are the forest people that feed the nation are suffering. Everything we buy in the market comes from the forest,” he said.

On her part, Mrs. Biobokogha Pena-ere from Okomu said the company has put the communities into bondage through their maltreatment and harrasement, lamenting that they can no longer fish nor farm.

The protesters at Gbelebu comminity on Friday

“Okumu Oil Palm is oppressing us, intimidating us, we don’t have good road, we don’t have good water. We cannot kill the fish we used to kill before because they have used their chemical to spoil our river, so no fish. The petty business we do to survive, they have blocked the road to access urban cities, so we can no longer do our businesses,” Pena-ere lamented.

Also speaking, Chief French Yabike decried the activities of Okomu Oil Palm Company, alleging that the company has been busy evacuating their villages, just he further lamented that yet “in terms of employment nothing; talking about scholarship, nothing, everything they promised, nothing was done.”

He said Okomu land is divided into two area: BC 9 and BC10, and that they the native are in BC 10, alleging that Okomu Oil Palm Company has crossed to BC 10 part of the land and intimidating them with military.

“We are tired of the activities of Okomu Oil Palm Company. The company has been evacuating our communities. Some times ago, they came with soilders to evacuate Lemon camp. After that they proceeded to Agbede comminity and evacuated them, and later extended to Oweike, they evacuated it too,” he said.

Also speaking, a chief from Gbelebu comminity, Ejueyi Segun, said the only road linking the community and others has been blocked by the company, saying the company does not owe the road as claimed.

He said, “The company has blocked the existing road before the company was founded. Since 2019, the road has been under lock and today it’s been locked completely. They used COVID-19 as an excuse to finally lock up the road with lockdown excuse. The alternative road is bad.

“The road the company is claiming is not its road, that road was constructed by British West Africa Timber Contractors of those days before Okomu Oil Palm was set up there.”

Engineer Lawani Dumofaye, from Agbede community said “Just of last week, our local farmers mills were being burnt down by Okomu Oil Palm Company. We have been suffering. Our streams are being polutted with their Agro chemicals. We are suffering. We are calling on the international comminity and the government to come to our aides. We have a lot of graduates in our communities but none is being employed.”

Calls and WhatsApp messages sent to the Public Relations Officer the company, Fidelis Olise were not replied even after reading them.

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Bandits Seek Peace Talks With Zamfara Gov In Viral Video

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Editor

Some bandits have called for a peace talk with the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal.

The decision of the gun-wielding men was made known in a viral video on Thursday.

In the video, a bandit, Garba Habeeb, who claimed to be the leader, appealed for negotiation between his group and the state government.

He said, “Because I represent Zamfara State (bandits), after that I need to send message to Dauda Lawal. Dauda Lawal Dere ‘ittakullaha’ (fear God)!

“As from today, we need peace. We need peaceful coexistence in Zamfara State. Continued fighting will not bring us peace. Peace is what is required of you.

“If you look at what’s going on in Eastern Africa, you’ll agree we need to find common ground to resolve our differences.

“After that, I need to send a message to the military, Tukur Usman Gusau, because he’s the one who sends warplanes to bomb bandits.

“Last week, a vigilante group came to my area to follow my cow and sheep to go (sic). This one is not good.

“Dauda Lawal Dare, you’re the leader of Zamfara State, fear God. If you lead a peaceful Zamfara, (sic) then call all the leaders of Fulanis and all the ‘Kachallas’ (bandits commanders) to the negotiation table for the benefit of all,.”

Efforts by to reach the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, for comment proved abortive as his phone lines were not connecting and text messages were not replied to.

In 2019, bandits in Zamfara gave conditions for laying down their arms, one of them being the halting of extra-judicial killings of herdsmen.

The bandits also demanded that they be allowed to attend local markets without fear or intimidation.

Recently, the governor called for the deployment of more soldiers due to the high level of insecurity plaguing the state.

He made the call when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson disclosed that the governor briefed the CDS about the security situation in the state during the meeting.

Lawal expressed concerns over the resurgence of attacks in some parts of his state and appealed to Musa, an army general, to deploy more troops and weapons to the state.

PUNCH

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JUST IN: More Trouble For Bello As Immigration Service Places Ex-Kogi Gov On Watchlist

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Editor

The Nigerian Immigration Service on Thursday put the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on its watchlist.

This came hours after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared Bello wanted in connection to an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of N80.2bn.

The circular sighted by The PUNCH was dated April 18, 2024 and was signed by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, DS Umar, for the Comptroller-General, Kemi Nandap.

The service detailed the name, nationality, and passport number of the former gpvernor (B50083321) saying “I am directed to inform you that the above-named person has been placed on the watch list.

“Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering vide letter Ref; CR; 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/ TE/Vide/1/279 dated April 18, 2024.

“If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action.”

Earlier, the EFCC declared Bello wanted, asking members of the public with useful information about the former governor’s whereabouts to contact any of the commission’s offices across the country.

The anti-graft commission had earlier stated that it would arraign the former governor before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday.

This came after the EFCC was granted a warrant of arrest by the Federal High Court in Abuja to apprehend Bello.

Bello, alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, were to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on 19 counts related to money laundering.

But drama ensued when officers of the Nigeria Police Force foiled the EFCC’s attempt to arrest Bello at his Abuja residence on Wednesday.

A group of armed men, identified as “Special Forces,” along with officers from the Nigeria Police Force, intervened to prevent the EFCC operatives from apprehending him.

The PUNCH gathered that the current governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, had intervened to prevent the arrest of his predecessor.

Ododo’s security team reportedly escorted Bello out of the location in the governor’s vehicle.

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Ex-Anambra Gov, Obiano Loses Bid To Stop Trial In N40bn Fraud Charges

Published

7 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Editor

Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the application by a former Anambra State Governor, Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, which sought to quash the N40 billion money laundering charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

The Judge, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, faulted and rejected all grounds upon which the application was predicated by Obiano.

The former governor had, among others, prayed the Judge to dismiss the 9-count charges instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on behalf of the Federal Government.

He claimed that there was no connection between the proof of evidence supplied to the court by the EFCC and the accusations against him.

He averred that there was no testimony from any witness indicating that he issued directives for the disbursement of security votes and other funds belonging to the Anambra State Government.

Obiano also claimed that he could not be held accountable for any alleged unlawful actions by officials of the Anambra State Government as there is no concept of vicarious liability in the criminal justice system.

His motion on notice was brought pursuant to Section 6(6)(a) and (b) and Section 36(6)(b) of the 1999 constitution as amended and Section 1(1) & (2), 266, 271(b), 383(4) &492 (3) of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act 2015.

Among others, Obiano sought “An order of the court quashing the instant charge for it amounts to flagrant abuse of judicial process and a mockery of the criminal Justice

“An order quashing the charge for non-disclosure of a prime facie case being vague and devoid of precision in respect of all the 9 count charges.

“No prima facie case has been disclosed against the defendant in this charge. There is no link between the proof of evidence and the purported allegation made against the defendant in the charge

“No evidence exists from any witness showing that the defendant passed down a directive for the disbursement of security votes and other funds belonging to Anambra State government.

“The defendant cannot be made answerable for any purported unlawful actions of officials of Anambra State government as there is no vicarious liability in our criminal jurisprudence.

“The thinking and conclusion of the prosecution on the counts arose from speculation and suspicions.

“The subject matter of the charge borders on accountability for security vote funds.
The honourable court lacks the requisite jurisdiction to entertain issues on accountability for security vote funds

“There is an appeal filed by the Anambra state government challenging the powers of EFCC to investigate the security vote of Anambra state government.

“The preferment of the entire charge is in bad faith. This honourable court has inherent judicial power to grant all the reliefs sought above.”

But in the ruling, Justice Ekwo held that all the reliefs sought by Obiano are not grantable because they are premature and lacking in merit.

The Judge said there is no way the court would know whether the former governor is linked with the alleged offences or not unless the trial is conducted in line with the provisions of the law.

The former governor is being prosecuted by EFCC on 9-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N40 billion.

Meanwhile, the Judge has fixed June 24, 25, 26 and 27 for full blown trial of the charges.

In the same vein, Justice Ekwo permitted Obiano 60 days to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The Judge ordered that Obiano be made to sign an undertaking to return to the country after the treatment and to deposit his travelling passport within three days of his return to Nigeria.