By Ikhili Ebalu,Benin City
The Aiyobahan of Benin Kingdom, Chief Osamede Adun popularly known as ‘Bob Izua’ has described the allegation against him by some members of Evbovbioba Community indigenes in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State over plots of land in their community as a calculated attempt to distort facts of the true owner of the said land.
Chief Adun debunked this allegation in a chat with newsmen in Benin City.
The Aiyobahan of Benin Kingdom who was bitter about the allegation said, “I don’t have right to go to any community to drag for land that does not belong to me.
“I bought the said land from one Dr. Omofuoma, he gave me all the documents as regard to my purchase of the land, I surveyed the land by myself after the purchase in 1977. All the papers related to my purchased of the land is in my possession.
“When I bought the land from Dr. Omofuoma, he took me to the Odionwere then ‘Odusaye’, I met the Odionwere who told me that Dr. Omofuoma is the owner of the land. When I wanted to survey the land, the present Enogie now came out and said I can’t survey the land. I told him that his father sold the land to Dr. Omofuoma who in turn sold the land to me. Dr. Omofuoma.
“This resulted to some arguments that led to the destruction of my car in 1988. In the same 1988, the agreement for settlement made is here with me.
“Since the said agreement we reached, I have being planting and harvesting my crops there, nobody has challenged me over the ownership of the said land, Dr. Omofuoma even erected building inside the land before I bought the land from him.”
Going further, Chief Adun said, “I have a palm tree factory in the land, when you visit the land, you will see for yourself. Almost 36 years back, I have being doing business there, my cow and other crops are there for Investigation. This same people claiming ownership of the land went to remove about 30 of my cows in the night, tied my Fulani taken care of my cows down and went with my cows.
“I did’t bother to make any trouble with anybody, I just decided to let go, but I reported the matter to the police as at that time.
“I was surprised about six months ago, information came to me that some persons are erecting building inside my land, that they are also erecting fence around the building, I went there. Thank God my elder brother who went with me to purchase the land from Dr. Omofuoma is here with me.
“I am surprised that their children are coming to lay claim of the land. Even the Enogie requested for assistance from me; that he has no car to go around the community. Because of whom l am, l decided to buy him Benz 90. The Benz was purchase through Odokor.
“I am surprised that the Enogie:s son came and start laying ownership of the land. The said Enogie is alive, despite he cannot see but he can hear whatever question put before him.
“The Enogie son came and said he want to take a portion of the land I bought from his father, and I stood my ground that, that will not be possible.
“I did not fight anybody, neither did I injured anybody, they just went to forged that allegation against me,” he concluded.
When asked about some of the old men in the community denying knowing him, he said, “I don’t want to know them, I went to their committee when they invited me and tendered my documents to buttress my ownership of the land; they were surprised to see the land documents from my hand, the agreement with his father, the former Enogie and the present Enogie who sold the land to Dr. Omofuoma. They requested to have the paper which l refused to hand over to them, l said to them, “Go to your father’s records to check if I am lying against you. If you are able to lay your hand on the documents, bring it out then we compel.
“One of the men said we measured the land, and after the measurement, they said there was where my land stopped, I told them, no way, if you can go through the survey, from the Government Reserved to the River end belong to me.
If l am not the owner of the land, why will I have people working for me in the land, they are still there as we speak, how come they never asked for the ownership of the land. The land is mine, I bought it from the right source.
“I thank God they said they accompanied me to measured the land. If truly I don’t have land there, will they accompany me to measure the land. This is the question that need an answer.