Edo: Crisis brews between Amagba and Evbukhu over land dispute

A full-scale confrontation is brewing between Amagba and Evbukhu, two communities in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, over the ownership of a large parcel of land situated at the boundary between the communities, if the state government fails to promptly intervene.No life has been so far lost in the dispute, but property worth millions of naira have been destroyed, particularly many buildings erected by developers in the disputed area, which were allegedly demolished by some youths.A large part of the disputed land was said to have been sold to the developers by Evbukhu community, but that it had become a nightmare for those who had acquired parcels of land there to develop their plots, following continued harassment.Head of Evbukhu community, Pa Samuel Efe, who spoke with journalists after conducting them round to see some of the buildings allegedly pulled down by some youths from Amagba, said that the moat was the boundary landmark between both communities but that Amagba people had gone beyond the moat deep into their land.He claimed that the Evbukhu people had reported the matter to the Oba of Benin and relevant security agencies with a view to getting an amicable resolution of the dispute.Pa Efe said they had been trying to avert bloodshed between both communities, hence they had cautioned youths from Evbukhu community not to retaliate when the youths, from their neighbouring community attacked them.According to him, 'Government should come to our aid. Thugs have destroyed many buildings in this community. They beat labourers and took their working tools away, including bags of cement. They want to kill us and take our land.'A palace chief, Richard Ogbawe, the Osarodion of Benin Kingdom, said Amagba youths had invaded their community shrine and laid claim to it, alleging that the youth usually beat up and chased away anybody Evbukhu community sold land to.But an indigene of Amagba said the disputed land belonged to Amagba community and that a court judgment had ruled in favour of Amagba community, just as he added that there was no moat that served as boundary between both communities.According to the Amagba indigene, who said he would not want to join issues on the matter, the people making the allegations were not from Evbukhu, pointing out that Evbukhu community was a camp and had encroached in all the land belonging to nearby communities.
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