It was a day of wailing in Ulegun, a peaceful and growing community on the Benin-Abraka Road, Edo State when thousands of home owners wailed and rolled on the ground as they watched their life-time investments broken into rubbles and ruins by bulldozers ordered by the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II.
But, in a swift reaction, the Palace of the Benin Monarch accused the Enogie of Ulegun, Sunday Eghosasere Omoregie, of “land grabbing”.
The palace also advised Governor Godwin Obaseki to do more in “arresting the unsavoury behaviours of grabbing other people’s land and leaving the victims with no form of compensation or respite”.
Plot after plot, the bulldozers crawled over 80 houses and other belongings worth billions of and threw the home owners into the streets.
Even pots of soups, medicines for the sick and milk for babies were not spared in the onslaught as the owners were not allowed to remove their belongings from their homes.
The displaced former Ulegun landlords and land ladies are taking refuge in the homes of friends and families in neighboring communities hoping for justice.
Some of the victims alleged the leader of the chiefs from the palace and Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council, Mr. Frank Irabor, had no court order or judgement to execute such unprecedented illegality in a state where law and order reign supreme.
The Village Head, Enogie Sunday Eghosasere Omoregie and the chief priest of the community, Ohen Philip Uwuoroya, were also brutalised and arrested.
The community’s Queen Mother, Mrs. Rose Omoregie, who gave an eye witness account, said:“The community head was called for a meeting last Wednesday and since then, he had not returned home.
“The Enogie inherited the land in dispute between the Ulegun Community and Ukhiri Community from his grandfather and the land belongs to the Ulegun Community and not the Oba of Benin as claimed by the palace chiefs.
” The dispute over the land has since 1974 been settled and resolved in favour of the Ulegun community from the palace of Oba Akenzua up to the Supreme Court.”
Those affected in the demolition have also accused the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration of being complicit in the whole drama.
The Edo Government however facilitated the release of the Ulegun Community head and the chief priest.
The former homeowners “want the injustice redressed as the Nigerian Constitution should be King in a democratic era as against the raw, unrestrained, unbridled and illegal powers of some traditional rulers and government officials”.
Defending its integrity, the Palace said it regarded land grabbing “at the rate it is going as akin to terrorism and kidnapping. The only difference is that they are kidnapping and terrorising lawful owners which can lead to communal crisis and breach of preach.
“The Enogie of Ulegun and his community youths have sold off land of other people and corporate bodies located in Ukhiri, including land that is known to belong to the Palace.
“In a current case, some youths in Ogheghe Community destroyed the perimeter fence of church land belonging to Christ Embassy and proceeded to sell off plots of land.
“The Palace has strongly condemned this action towards Christ Embassy and supports the lawful ownership of the land by Christ Embassy.
“It should be noted that several parcel of land belonging to the Palace have been taken over by land grabbers”.