By Sunday Apah
The South-South Professional & Transparency Initiatives (SSPTI) is urging the indigenes of Okpanam, located in the Oshimili North Local Government Area, to visit the Nigeria Police Force CID at Area 10 in Abuja to submit any pertinent documentation regarding their claim to ownership of land contested with the people of Issele-Azagba in the Aniocha North Council Area of Delta State.
Expressing concern over the indigenes’ ongoing refusal to meet with police authorities, the SSPTI described this behavior as irresponsible. They emphasized that the Okpanam community has been the aggressor in the dispute, which has persisted for nearly three years. The group’s statement criticized the indigenes for failing to present documentation to substantiate their claims since the investigation was moved to Abuja, calling their inaction a display of cowardice.
It is important to note that frustrations over perceived bias from some senior officers at the Delta State Police Command led stakeholders in the case to petition the Force Headquarters, resulting in the matter being escalated to the office of the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun.
In light of the violence surrounding this land dispute — which includes the tragic murders of two policemen three years ago and the recent deaths of three youths — IGP Egbetokun personally assigned the investigation to Deputy Inspector General Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, instructing him to ensure justice for the victims.
Responding to the continued absence of key figures from the Okpanam community at the investigation hearings, SSPTI Chairman Dr. Ugochukwu Alozie issued a statement asserting that it is evident the Okpanam indigenes lack the necessary documentation to substantiate their ownership claims regarding the disputed land.
The statement reads: “Building upon our earlier remarks, it is clear that the indigenes of Okpanam, who have been the aggressors against the Issele-Azagba people over this land, have no documentation to support their ownership claims. Our investigations at the Police Headquarters have confirmed that none of the principal actors from the Okpanam community have appeared in Abuja to present any evidence that would aid the investigating team led by DIG Alabi.”
“We find it perplexing that a community asserting ownership over disputed land fails to provide any proof of their claims. We urge the Okpanam indigenes to show the courage to appear before the investigating panel and submit the necessary documents pertaining to their ownership claim, which will allow the team to complete its mandate as instructed by IGP Egbetokun.”
“In the event they continue to evade engagement with the investigation panel, we call upon the police to declare the main actors within and outside their community as wanted, alongside certain senior police officers who may have facilitated the violence that has taken lives, and to bring them to justice,” the statement concluded.
