One of the property developers, whose houses were demolished last Wednesday at Ulegun Community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, allegedly on the orders of the Secretary, Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Mr Frank Irabor, has cried out for justice.
The property developer, Osaro Ihankpan, disclosed that four other house owners affected by the demolition were hospitalised at various hospitals due to the shock they suffered over the loss of their property.
Close to 80 houses were reportedly demolished during the operation last week at Ulegun, as the videos of the event show the demolition exercise being supervised by some individuals dorning the Benin traditional red robe.
Ihankpan said he had so far expended N38 million in the last 12 years on the buildings which he said were at the filling and roofing level respectively when we’re illegally demolished.
“I am no longer myself. I am just standing here as a man. There’s one woman and three others who are battling their lives after they destroyed their houses”.
“I want the Edo State government and the Federal Government to come to my aid. I bought the land and paid before I started building”, he stated.
Mr Frank Irabor had told journalists that the land measuring 225.47 hectares where the houses were built belonged to the Oba of Benin, adding, “those who built on the land should go and meet those who sold the land to them”.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Ulegun Community on Friday insisted that they didn’t at anytime seed the said land to the Benin monarch.
Mr Raymond Enogieru, who spoke on behalf of the leaders of the community accused the leadership of a neighbouring community (Ukhiri) and the Place Secretary, Irabor, of bringing the revered Benin monarchical institution to disrepute
He insisted that a dispute over the said land with its neighbouring community, Ukhiri, had been resolved in various courts up to Supreme Court in favour of the Ulegun community, a decision he said was backed up by the pronouncement of the former Oba of Benin, Oba Erediawa.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, Justice Mary Itsueli of a Benin High Court ordered that Mr Frank Irabor and six others should be remanded in prison custody pending when the state’s Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, would give legal advice on the matter.
The seven accused persons, who were arrested on Wednesday and arraigned on Thursday, were subsequently taken to the Oko Maximum Prison, where they will be till September 15, when the case will be listed again on the court’s cause list.
The police are prosecuting the accused persons on the strength of the protests by the community for justice over the illegal destruction of their property as well as the alleged intimidation, harassment and disregard for the rule of law, said to have been perpetrated by the seven accused persons.
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