By Kingsley Abavo, Benin
IDOGBO – The people of Obaretin village in Ikpoba – Okha Local Government Area, Edo State have denied responsibility for the alleged attack and killing in a neighbouring village of Uhie.
A couple of weeks ago, allegedly, the youths of Obaretin village without provocation attacked Uhie village with dangerous weapons, killing one person as valuable properties were destroyed.
But in a swift reaction, Obaretin people speaking through their acting Odionwere, Pa. Imuetiyan Igiebor and some elders denied the accusation.
The Odionwere said none of his youths went to Uhie village let alone unleashed mayhem and subsequent killing, adding that his Okaighele was not even at home when the alleged act happened; he was in Delta State tending to his sick wife.
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“But we were shocked when suddenly at night the suspected thugs of Chief Osarumwense Agbonavbare a.k.a Seriba in a commando style; attacked us in a purported vengeance mission with guns and all manner of dangerous weapons.
“Even as we speak since the attack on us by his thugs on 3 December, 2022 one of the youths abducted from his house has not been seen.
“They burnt down the place where we hold meetings and a few other houses, the wife of one of our elders; a former senior Police officer retd. was also shot.
“The general public should know it that we are not in anyway responsible for the alleged attack and killing in Uhie as being wrongly insinuated.
“We have all the years coexisted peacefully and had no prior quarrel even as we have inter married and now blood relations. Hence, there is no basis for us to had launched an attack against them.”
The people of Obaretin further in their denial of the alleged attack and killing accused one Chief Agbonavbare, a.k.a Seriba as the suspected mastermind; having allegedly seized their land for Palm plantation since the year 1993.
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“For clarity and proper understanding of the issue; the general public should know it that Pa.Ogiewonyi was the Odionwere and Pa.Imasuen Osagiede was then a member of the elders’ council who took Chief Agbonavbare to court in the year 2002.
“Following stiff resistance from the people of Obaretin, Chief Agbonavbare resorted to using Police to intimidate and arrest them even as he has destroyed all the cash crops in the contentious land: cashew, cocoa, rubber, Palm trees, cocoanut and others.
“Chief Agbonavbare never bought any land from anyone, rather, our Enogie of blessed memory only gave him the Uhie axis for farming purpose, and he ended up grabbing almost the entire land space.
“Again, in 2018 we told him to leave the land but he has not been forth coming, we don’t want to go violence to reclaim our property, we are quietly considering all the relevant legal means to deploy.
“He is the one instigating the non – existent quarrel to divert attention from our land he has seized, and we have vowed to push him back.”
The Odionwere reiterated that Obaretin people have no quarrel whatsoever with Uhie people let alone attacking and killing someone.
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“I want to therefore passionately appeal for the urgent intervention of our revered Monarch HRM Oba Ewuare II, Edo State Government, Police and all relevant authorities to enable the prevailing peace now under threat, remain here.
In the same vein, Owa Osagiede an indigene of Obaretin corroborated the narrative of the Odionwere accusing Chief Agbonavbare as suspected Mastermind of the sad development.
“We don’t do land grabbing here, Chief Agbonavbare is the person causing problem in Uhie not Obaretin as alleged.
“In 1993, our elders took him to court for grabbing Obaretin’s land.”
