The suspects arrested in the past few days for forcible entry and criminal trespass on the land around the Delta State Polytechnic in Ogwashi-Uku have been charged in the Magistrate Court of Ogwashi-Uku.
In the charge documents sighted by our correspondent, the suspects Daniel Abiodu, Nwabaha Victor and others at large were charged in charge no MO/8c/2024 before Magistrate C.E Osuma.
Our correspondent understands that the suspects were granted bail for five hundred thousand Naira with a credible surety.
Recall that the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom moved to remove the illegal trespassers in land opposite the Polytechnic in Ogwashi-Uku recovered by court judgement given by Hon Justice Diai, the current Chief Judge of Delta State.
The Delta State High Court granted full possession of the five hundred hectares of land around the Delta State Polytechnic after a trial and court judgment via court certificate and writ of possession dated 17th September 2015.
As such, the land has been in the full custody of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom since this date.
According to sources close to the Palace of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, the Obi in Council became alarmed when dozens of illegal structures started appearing on the land.
At the same time, a group of people in the farming settlement of Azagba Ogwashi-Uku apparently started driving exotic cars and were seen spraying bundles of Naira notes last Christmas from proceeds of land sales in the same area recovered by the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku via court judgement.
When contacted, the Palace Secretary, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi confirmed that recovery effort had taken place with the assistance of the Nigerian Police which included the removal of trespassers and illegal structures.
He claimed that the land was being allocated by the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, Obi (Dr) Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo II to indigenes of the kingdom for their personal use.
He said that over 1000 applications had been received and processed at the Palace.
When asked about the illegal sales of land by a few people from the Azagba farming settlement, he said: “We have had over 120 deeds of conveyance for land illegally sold with huge sums of money collected by a few people primarily from our farming settlement of Azagba. The buyers some of whom purchased up to 50 plots are primarily from across the River Niger.
“We have tried to explain to them about the illegalities of the sale by the people who sold the land to them. In extreme cases, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku is reviewing their situation. We hereby use this to notify the public to stop buying land from this group of people as it may amount to a nullity and complete waste of funds. We urge buyers who have been defrauded by these people to contact the police or the EFCC to lodge a complaint.”
Three other suspects who were arrested on the 16th of January 2024 trying to attack workers in the site with dangerous weapons have been arraigned today at the High court in Asaba.
The three suspects have been remanded in custody at the Federal Correctional Centre in Ogwashi-Uku pending the hearing of their bail applications.
