Rivers Community Seeks Govt’s  Intervention in Land Grabbing, Kidnapping

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Communities in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the state government to intervene in the massive challenge of land grabbing and kidnapping incidents being experienced in the area recently.

The communities made the call yesterday while speaking with journalists through the Bishop of the Etche Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd Okechukwu Nwala.

Speaking on what he titled: ‘Pertinent Issues Affecting the Security and Economy of the Etche Nation’, the clergyman lamented that the area has suffered so much insecurity and high rate of kidnapping in the past months.

He said: “Abduction for ransom though not peculiar and/or new to Etche nation is another ugly incident that has remained unabated.

“The sponsors have graduated from using fellow locals to now engaging some Fulani herdsmen with heavy rifles and charms to keep the victims in their hideouts.”

Bishop Nwala said Etche people are predominantly agrarian in nature, and despite being blessed with large oil and gas deposits with contribute significantly to the economy of Nigeria, the area has remained largely underdeveloped

The clergy disclosed that following interactions and investigations with leading members of the affected communities, land grabbing was initially known as land recovering, but with the current experience, many individuals, organisations, religious bodies and even the government have recently lost their lands to grabbers.

 He traced the origin of the situation to “where a member or members of the family whose land had been on protracted litigation approach the land grabbers to take over the land on a 50:50 sharing ratio. “In which case the land grabbers will make logistics arrangements by procuring interim injunction from the court, get the police to execute the order, mobilise caterpillars and bulldozers to site, in addition to cult boys who act as foot soldiers.”

Nwala added: “Today, the trend has changed as they now kidnap vacant farmlands, especially those not encumbered by any means whatsoever. As we speak, several individuals and corporate bodies are victims of the nefarious act and some have lost their lives as a result.

“For instance, Scripture Union Nigeria has about 9.5 hectares of land in Igbo-Etche. Apart from the small area that has been built up, the rest of the land not less than nine hectares have been sold by the so-called land grabbers.

“As we speak, they have gotten to Chokocho and Umuechem, and if nothing is done, it won’t be long all parts of Etche will have their share of this unfortunate incidence.”

The clergy regretted that “as a result of the above and other criminal activities in Etche land, many businesses are relocating from Etche and genuine persons are losing interest in coming to buy or develop property in the area.”

The cleric, therefore, appealed on “Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his urgent intervention to save the situation that is capable of degenerating to chaos if not checked.

“Security agencies have been greatly accused of conniving with the criminal-minded individuals who carry out these acts, and however, we also draw the attention of the state commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to the matter.”