- Says, they never allocated land to Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor
Alihame Community, in Agbor, Delta State, has called on Nigeria Police to stop the on going building projects at the junction of Old Lagos/Asaba Road and Sakpoba Road, Alihame. The Community said that the on-going building projects is at the instance of Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor.
The Community noted that the call has become very important as it did not at any time allocate the land where the building projects are going on, to any government ministry or agency.
In a letter titled: Re-Land Dispute And Reported Case By Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor, A Further Protest”, and copied to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Zone 5, Benin-City, Edo State, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Command Headquarters, Asaba, the Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Force, Divisional Headquarters, Agbor, the Delta State Director, State Security Service, SSS, Command Headquarters, Asaba, the Officer-in-Charge, State Security Service, Ika South Local Government Area, Agbor and the Chairman, Ika South Local Government, Agbor, the Alihame Community called for the immediate stoppage of work on the building projects on the said land being executed by Nigeria Correctional Service until real documents on the allocation of the land is made available.
The letter which was signed by the Chairman, Alihame Land Committee, Mr Nwaonicha Sunday, Mr Osiele Victor, Secretary 1, Mr Ehiedu Efechukwu, Secretary 2/PRO and Mr Ichazu Peter, Youth Leader, the Alihame Community said that the land was never at any time allocated or attached to the original land given to Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor and that, there was no legitimate transfer of the said land from the Nigeria Army(former occupants of the land during the Nigerian Civil War)to Nigeria Correctional Service as there was no document to that effect.
The Community disclosed that her people are law abiding, hence, they quickly reported the case to the office of the Area Commander, Nigeria Police Force, Agbor Operational Area in 2023 where the Ministry of Land and Survey, Delta State was directed to help provide documents of the land if it was allocated.
“Following our disagreement with the authorities of Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor, on the way and manner that it entered its present location at the junction of Old Lagos/Asaba Road and Sakpoba Road, Alihame, the Nigeria Correctional Service reported a case to you on July 3, 2023 over eighteen months ago. Though, we were grateful to you for your rapid response and intervention but, it is obvious that the concerned authorities of government, especially, the Ministry of Lands and Survey are yet to respond or say what they know as to how Nigeria Correctional Service came to the location along the Old Lagos/Asaba Road by Sakpoba Road junction.
“Instead of waiting for the response of Ministry of Lands and Survey in particular, Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor proceeded to erect lock up shops and stalls on the disputed parcel of land, thereby, instigating our community to take laws into their own hands. We are not aware that Nigeria Correctional Service is now a business enterprise for profit making, ” Alihame Community posited.
The Community added, “At about ten years ago, when a delegation of the Federal Government came to Alihame to ask for a space to build the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, South South Zonal Office, Agbor, Alihame Elders did not decline their request because they did not ask for land to build a market or business center.
“At about five years ago, when the representatives of the Delta State Chief Judge came to Alihame to ask for land to build the Magistrate Court, Agbor, Alihame Elders agreed with them because they did not ask for a space to build lock up shops and stalls.
“It is incontrovertible to say, Alihame Community has in her custody, some government reserved land for genuine government purposes, not for markets.”
The Alihame Community therefore, in a recent letter to the Area Commander, Nigeria Police Force, Agbor Operational Area, Agbor to use his good office to stop every on-going projects by Nigeria Correctional Service in the junction of Old Lagos/Asaba Road and Sakpoba Road (Adjacent the Magistrate Court, Agbor), until they tender their full documents or until the full documents are made available by other authorities, regarding their entry(Correctional Service) to the place.
The Community further disclosed, “Presently, we are planning and working on two options: One week from the date (May 28, 2025) this letter was received by your office, the one thousand and one youths of Alihame Community shall be mobilisd to block one or more federal highways across Agbor until we hear from the Inspector General of Police and from the Director General of the State Security Service. On the alternative, one week from the date this letter was received by your office, the one thousand and one youths of Alihame Community shall be mobilized to occupy the said place being illegally developed by Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor. As Nigeria Correctional Service builds on the said land we shall also build on it.
“We are only asking for documents, whether from Alihame Community or from government that permitted the entry of Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor into the land in the junction of Sakpoba Road and Old Lagos/Asaba Road, Agbor. Please direct all projects being executed by Nigeria Correctional Service, Agbor to be stopped until our request(documents) is made available.
“That they were in court to argue with the Ika South Local Government on the jurisdiction of low court to entertain the case has nothing to do with ownership as jurisdiction of court over case has nothing to do with ownership or legal allocation of land. The so-called court judgment on jurisdiction Nigeria Correctional Service is parading has nothing to do with ownership of the land. And land is given on overriding public interest, so Nigeria Correctional Service cannot have double allocation within one community. It should move back to the originally allocated land.”
