Crisis Brew In Erua Community Over Odionwere’s Refusal To Honour Agreement
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
Crisis seems to be brewing in the Erua community, Uhunmwode Local Government Council Area of Edo State, after eight months of the installation of the Odionwere, (Village Head), Pa. Peter Osakue Eresuwa non compliance with agreement reached before his installation.
The brewing crisis is said to be a fall out of the refusal of the Odionwere, Pa. Eresuwa and his children; to honour the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) they entered with financiers during the crisis which threatened his installation.
The Odionwere had walked a difficult road to his installation following a resistance spear headed by the former Okaighele (Youths Head), Ayo Omoregbe
This led to a prolonged internal crisis which had posed an obstacle to the installation of the Odionwere, and the spending of huge sums of money in finding a solution to the situation.
Our reliable sources narrate that the financial benefactors have requested that they be paid both the money spent on the struggle and in compensation; all amounting to the sum of N50 million.
But, the Odionwere and his children are not prepared to hear this let alone honour the demand as they argue; that the amount of money being demanded has been inflated.
Taking further steps, the financial benefactors were said to have therefore tried using internal family mechanisms to resolve the disagreement; and in one of such meetings, the Odionwere and his children were told to pay in full as demanded either in cash, or portions of land in equivalent be given to them.
Now, the financial benefactors noticing that the Odionwere and his children were not showing any readiness to comply with the resolution, they have decided to drag them to the law court where a date for hearing of the matter is said to have been fixed for on the 17 November, 2026.
Whereas, the daughter of the Odionwere who allegedly spent the sum of N2 million for the struggle, has been paid the sum of N7 million both in refund and compensation via a portion of land sold in the community.
We also scooped, that the Odionwere and his children within the short period of being in charge of affairs of Erua community, have taken to carrying out notorious activities of the outlawed Community Development Associations (CDA); Land Grabbing in particular.
With the backing of the Odionwere, his son and gang members sell the community land without the notification of the elders in council, and also sell portions of land to more than one buyer.
One of such cases is the one involving a pastor and a close member of the family, it was said.
According to our source, the community approved 20 plots of land to be sold to buy a vehicle for the Odionwere and used in taking care of his other pressing needs.
Consequently, the family member was allegedly approached to buy. The sum of N15 m was negotiated and another N1 m for accruing expenses; all amounting to
the sum of N16 m.
After all the necessary documents were made and survey plans done, even with the application for a Government Certificate of ownership (Cof O) filed, the Odionwere’s son and gang members went behind to sell the same portion of land to the said pastor.
They allegedly told him to quickly start erecting structures in the land with intent to relocate the family member from whom the sum of N16 m was earlier collected.
Actually, when the family member, now a victim of circumstance came to confront his supposed brothers, they tried appealing to him to accept relocation to another area, which he refused.
In the midst of this, the pastor acting on the instructions of the Odionwere’s son, began erecting structures in the land which has further escalated tension, our source said.
But, the Odionwere who we reliably gathered was aware of the development and solidly behind the inglorious activities, denied knowing anything when the family member confronted him.
All the persons involved in this story except the pastor, are said to be close family relations; father, children, uncle, nephews and cousins.
Efforts to reach the alleged Odionwere proved abortive as he refused to answer calls put out to his phone.
It will be recalled that the Edo State government ban on CDA activities is still in force as well as the Palace of the Benin Monarch, HRM Oba Ewuare II.
