The Association of Landlords and Residents of Okotomi Layout, Okpanam in Oshimili North local government area of Delta state, has petitioned Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over “audacious acts and conduct likely to cause breach of peace” in the estate by some persons.
In the petition written on behalf of the association by Larry Olisa
Chambers, and signed by Mr. L. N. Olisa, they said the modus operandi of the persons “is the invasion of the building site belonging to our clients to demand for development levy, an act which has since been legislated against by the Delta state Public and Private Properties Protection Law 2018.”
Specifically, the petition alleged that “sometime in early November, 2019, the same group of persons led by one Moraah, allegedly invaded Okotomi community with gun wielding thugs disguising as policemen and forcefully demarcated, partitioned and allocated lands belonging to bonafide residents of our clients’ community to themselves for the purposes of selling the said lands.”
The petition further stated that one of the layout’s landlords, one Col. Garba (retd.) who accosted the land grabber, narrowly escaped death as he was knocked down by the said Moraah in a Gestapo-style while maneuvering his vehicle.