By Ijeoma Umeh
Benin City – It was a dramatic moment, laced with emotions on Tuesday, February 14, at the hearing of the Edo State Private Properties Protection Committee sitting in Government House, Benin City, when proceedings began in one of the 28 cases that came up for hearing.
The moment was charged when the case of Patience Ekhator Amadasun Vs Aghafekokhan Amenaghawon, Odionwere of Agbomoba Community, Idemudia Aghaghowa, Okaeghele of Agbomoba Community and others was heard.
The Investigative Police Report Team A had reported to the Committee that parties to the case were still not certain about the way forward after the last adjournment of the matter.
Earlier in November, 2022, The Petitioner, Patience Ekhator Amadasun, a widow, had brought a case of land grabbing against the Respondents, stating that her land measuring 200feet by 200feet, part of a parcel of land said to belong to Petom Farms where she farmed was seized from her.
Meanwhile, the elders of Agbomoba Community stated that the land in dispute is part of the expanse of land carved out and bequeathed to the Community by Petom Farms when they approached the owner of Petom Farms, now deceased, on discovery that the ancestral shrine housing their village juju was in that part of the Petom farms.
“When we approached Mr Peter Omofonwan, the now deceased owner of Petom Farms, as a son of the soil, he understood the implication of farming around our shrine and juju, and he did not hesitate in mapping out that portion, from the main tarred road to Iguobazuwa road, and handed it over to the community. He even brought out money for us to fence it off ourselves. That part now belongs to the village and not to Petom Farms.”
The Respondents had prepared a defense which almost convinced the Committee that they were being wrongly accused of land grabbing, and one of them, Mr Aghaghowa, who stated he was former Okaeghele of Agbomoba Community even swore before the Committee that the said portion being claimed by the Petitioner belonged to the community and that there was no way the community would allow the land where their shrine was located to be trespassed on.
Also, at the hearing, first son of the petitioner said he was sure the Odionwere and other accomplices had sold off the entire land where they claimed their ancestral shrine was located, that he, infact, saw beacons pegged on the area, including on the disputed portion that he insisted belonged to his mother, and he further stated that he confronted the Odionwere on the pegging of beacons.
The Odionwere denied this accusation, just as he and his team insisted they had not sold the land, reiterating, like they had during past hearing on the matter, that
in no way would they sell land where their ancestral shrine was located.
Momentarily excusing the parties from the sitting, the Hon. Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga (Rtd), Chairman of the Committee, led other Committee members and Investigative Police Officers to examine all the documents presented by both parties and had a brief discussion on the preponderance or weight of evidence before the Committee.
The Committee and the Investigative Police Officers faulted the claims of the Respondents and stated that most, if not all, of the documents examined were falsified, all with superimposed signatures and several other visible fault lines.
The statements made by a witness presented by the Respondents, one Mr Johnson Aghaghowa, who said he was Manager of Petom Farms, were also perceived by the Committee as “disjointed” and did not help the Respondents in their claims.
The Committee called back the parties and narrowed their inquiries down to Mr Felix Amenawon, Odionwere of Agbomoba Community.
“Odionwere, if we are not mistaken, you may be an octogenarian, that is, 80 years of age or thereabouts. The documents you have submitted do not support your case. Forgery is imputed. You heard the son of the Petitioner telling us in your very presence that the land has been bulldozed and pegged, and he has accused you of selling off the entire expanse of land where you say your juju is located, what do you say to these? Now, look at these forged documents you presented in your defense. Forgery is 14 years imprisonment. We can afford to wave the Administration of Criminal Justice Law(ACJL), our Land Grabbing Law, at you, we can charge you, but we will give you the benefit of writing your name in history as one of those, who in his time as Odionwere, did not let Agbomoba Community in Edo State burn. You may wish to tell us the truth and put this matter to rest…” Hon. Justice Eruaga stated.
It was after this statement by the Hon. Justice, and more quizzing by other Committee members, that the table turned swiftly, and the Odionwere, appearing dazed, needed to sit down and was obliged. Then he muttered in the Benin dialect, “Odionwere can no longer lie.” He stood up, and when he spoke, the silence in the hall was palpable.
“Agbomoba Community sold the land in dispute.” He stated.
“We sold the land, including the one belonging to the woman.” He repeated. “Please, give us time to go and resolve the matter and come back and tell this Committee our terms of settlement.” He pleaded.
“We will give you time, and please, be warned. You will come back here and tell us how you have returned the Petitioner’s land to her so that we can have a resolution. You have made confessional statements and we have you on record.”
Addressing the respondents in general, the Committee Chairman stated: ” It is now clear that you were all not covering or fighting for your juju or your shrine but covering for someone’s pocket where the proceeds from the sale of someone’s land had entered. But do have a rethink. Go back and put your house in order. ”
The Hon. Justice however commended the Odionwere for his confessional statement and cautioned the youths in his team against intimidating the Odionwere for admitting to the offense of land grabbing. The matter was adjourned till March 21.
Sitting continues in Benin City.
