Residents of Obozoma Community, Okpanam, near Asaba in Oshimili North Local Council of Delta State, have raised concerns over alleged police brutality, intimidation and unlawful arrests linked to an ongoing land dispute involving a private estate developer.
Key Highlights:
- Delta residents accuse police of brutality in a land dispute.
- Two community members claim they were injured during the confrontation.
- They allege police backed demolition linked to a private estate.
- Victims are calling for an independent investigation.
- Police say they will probe if a formal complaint is filed.
The victims, Mr Victor Okolie, popularly known as Fuji, a contractor and indigene of Okpanam, and Mr Chinedu Ofuani, Chairman of the Obozoma Community Land Allocation Committee, alleged that they suffered severe injuries during a confrontation connected to the disputed land.
Addressing journalists in Okpanam near Asaba, the two men accused Bethel Court Estate of using security operatives to intimidate indigenous landowners and facilitate the takeover of contested community land.
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According to Okolie, the crisis began after reports emerged that portions of land previously allocated by the community were being fenced off and incorporated into an estate development project.
He explained that community leaders had invited contractors and stakeholders to inspect the site following complaints from residents and landowners.
“The land they are working on belongs to me. I worked for it and was compensated by the community. Some of the plots had already been allocated to individuals, while others had already commenced development,” he said.
Okolie alleged that upon arriving at the site, they discovered that several structures and fences belonging to landowners had been demolished. “Some of the individuals who purchased the land had already built duplexes there. The destruction was shocking,” he claimed.
He further alleged that armed police officers and other security personnel were present during the demolition exercise, creating what he described as an atmosphere of intimidation.
“The police presence was overwhelming. Officers from different units were there alongside armed personnel. It looked more like a military operation than a civil matter,” he alleged.
Okolie also claimed that he was shot during the incident while attempting to challenge those carrying out the demolition. “I was only telling them to stop what they were doing because the land belongs to me. That was when I was shot,” he alleged.
For Ofuani, the dispute had evolved beyond ownership claims into what he described as a broader issue of human rights violations and abuse of authority.
“This is no longer just a land matter. It has become a case of intimidation against an entire community. We have been subjected to harassment because we are defending what we believe is our ancestral property,” he said.
He alleged that despite not resisting arrest or committing any offence, he was subjected to degrading treatment by security personnel. “I did not resist arrest and I committed no crime. Yet I was blindfolded, handcuffed and taken away.
I was treated like a criminal,” he said.
Ofuani maintained that disputes relating to land ownership should be resolved through lawful judicial processes rather than the use of force.
“If there is a dispute over land, the courts should determine ownership. The police should not be seen taking sides in a civil matter,” he added.
The affected residents appealed to the Federal Government, Delta State government, human rights organisations and relevant security oversight bodies to institute an independent investigation into the allegations.
They also called for justice for affected landowners and measures to prevent what they described as the misuse of security agencies in private disputes.
When contacted over the allegations, the Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyeniyi, said he was not previously aware of the incident and stressed that the police do not intervene in civil land disputes unless criminal elements are involved.
“I am just hearing it now. We don’t handle land cases. Perhaps they were involved in criminal matters,” Oyeniyi stated.
The police commissioner, however, assured that the command would investigate any complaint of misconduct or injury involving police personnel if formally reported through the appropriate channels.
“If they had any encounter with the police or sustained injuries in the process, they should formally report the matter to the police,” he added.
Efforts to obtain reactions from the Chief Executive Officer of Bethel Court Estate, Mr Michael Igbo, were also unsuccessful.
