By Patrick Ahanor
Benin City.
Scores of angry residents in Oghara, Delta state took to the streets to protest alleged illegal acquisition of their lands by the Nigerian Navy Logistics Command.
The protesters, which included civil societies groups, women and youth, claimed that the said land measuring 600x600m have been forcefully acquired from Oghara indigenes.
Vehicular traffic on the ever busy Benin-Sapele road was halted while the protest lasted.
The residents brandished placards with various inscriptions such as: “PMB order Nigerian Navy to get-off our Land” “Navy Must Go” and ” Our land is our pride”.
Speaking on the rationale behind the protest, President General of Oghara Kingdom, Tony Omene, said the illegal acquisition of the community’s farmland measuring by the Navy command was an act of betrayal, intimidation and oppression.
While noting that the people of Oghara had been very hospitable to the Navy authorities domiciled in their town, Omene said: The communities have graciously allocated a small portion of land to the Navy, but woke up to see the Navy command fencing a vast portion of the land including the areas reserved for farming by the indigent of Oghara.
Reacting to the allegations by the aggrieved youths over the protest, the Delta state commissioner for lands and survey, Dan Okenyi said Delta state government was looking into the matter and that the state government will unravel the true position of the land dispute.
