Residents of Enwhe Kingdom in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State have celebrated the release of Prince Larry Efekodha and four other community members from detention in Abuja, after police investigations reportedly found no evidence linking them to criminal allegations earlier levelled against them over the lingering dredging dispute in the community.
The release of the five community members sparked.wild jubilation across the kingdom as women, chiefs, youths and supporters gathered at the palace of the town”s monarch to welcome them home after days in detention at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja.
The community had earlier staged protests demanding their release and accusing the police of attempting to intimidate residents opposing the activities of.a.dredging company , Emorock Concept Limited.
Speaking during the gathering, Mrs. Betty Efekodha, the Executive Assistant to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Women Mobilisation and former Commissioner for Women Affairs, alleged that the crisis was triggered by the destruction of a major farm access road by trucks conveying sand for the company’s dredging operations.
“They arrested my son, the women leader, the youth leader and another man. They took them to Asaba and later flew them to Abuja.
“They said my son is a murderer, a gun runner and involved in all sorts of criminal activities. But when the police came for investigation, they found out that all the allegations were false,” she added.
Mrs. Efekodha commended the inspector-general of police and the state commissioner of police for ordering an independent investigation into the matter.
Speaking after his release, Prince Efekodha, described his detention in Abuja as “very unpleasant,” insisting that the community never demanded any illegal development levy from the Emorock Concept Limited.
“There is nowhere and no time that I or anybody from this community requested development levy from anybody. What we requested for is royalties and compensation, which is applicable in other host communities where sand is dredged.
“As we speak, they are still continuing their dredging activities in our land without our consent,” he alleged.
He described the activities of the company as exploitation that had caused destruction of farmlands and the major road leading to the community’s farming settlements.
“What is taking place there is exploitation. What is taking place there is destruction of our farmlands and the access road to the largest farm settlement in Enwhe,” he said.
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Prince Efekodha appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Delta State government and Isoko South Local Government authorities to intervene in the matter.
Also speaking, Chief Enahoro Onowotu, Ezomo of Enwhe and chairman of the Enwhe Council of Chiefs, alleged that the traditional institution was sidelined in dealings between the contractor and some individuals in the community.
He further alleged that the dredging activities had destroyed aquatic life, vegetation and the road used daily by women farmers.
The community is therefore demanding immediate compensation for the affected farmers, payment of outstanding royalties, rehabilitation of the damaged farm access road and an end to what they described as exploitative dredging activities by the Emorock Concept Limited.
