Francis Sadhere

Former Delta State Attorney General, Chief Victor Otomiewo, has demanded from the Nigerian Army the immediate withdrawal of a quit notice given to a grave and some members of the Ohorhe Communities in Uvwie LGA of Delta State.

He also demanded the “immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the army occupation from all the undeveloped and/or illegal occupied land of my people, especially the ones marked down for demolition in Ohorhe communities.”

Chief Otemiewo made this demand while speaking to journalists in Warri.

Chief Otomiewo who alleged that the Nigerian Army from Effurun Barracks had laid siege on Ohorhe communities since February 13^th, 2014, said the soldiers had been harassing innocent indigenes, marking residential, commercial, religious houses and graves for demolition, under the guise that the structures were built on land belonging to the Army.

He accused the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy of leasing out government land to private individuals without recourse to the feelings of the original owners of the land, saying that; “Government should come to our rescue because we are dying in poverty, yet the Army is busy selling our land. Since 1974, we have been demanding for compensation for our land.”

He also demanded; “that the Defence Headquarters make public the revenue generated by the Army and Navy from allocation of our land “supposedly” acquired for public purpose which is now being sold for mind bungling multi-million naira fees without any recourse and/or dime to my people.”

In addition, Chief Otomiewo demanded that the Federal Government should return to the Uvwie people all unoccupied and undeveloped portions of their land which the men of the Army and Navy are presently plundering.

He said; “Naval Officers are deployed daily to allocate Uvwie land along the Refinery road to rent paying tenants and markets which traditionally and by the constitution ought to be exclusive revenue generation for Uvwie Local Government Council and the Uvwie Treditional Council has been captured and colonized by Naval and Army Personnel in the last 30 years.”

Chief Otomiewo, therefore, called on the Federal and State Government, National and State Houses of Assemblies, and relevant authorities, to call the Nigerian Army and the Navy to order, adding that despite the fact that the illegal acquisition is the subject matter of litigation; his people are being molested and even murdered on daily basis.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police was also demanded to hand-over to the Ekpan people, the illegally constructed Shopping Complex on the land surrounding the Police Barrack in Ekpan.