BY CHRISTY ABOGHE
THE people of Emu Ebendo community have accused Axxella Company Limited of forcefully taking over their land.
This led to a protest at the site along Kwale/Ughelli Expressway in Emu Ebendo, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Expressing grievances over the illegal possession of the land, Chief Augustine Enum said it was unfortunate that a peace loving community would be visited with such treatment. “Our land, Oluji alongside other lands have been our land until Obodugba community came in and saw there was oil in there. They challenged our ownership of the land to this trench. It was then we had to follow the legal process, where we later got judgement at the Supreme Court.
“Having won the case, we gave land to the industrial park, Kwale and when AXXELLA came to ask for land from us, we showed them our boundaries and the available lands, but they turned round to claim that they bought them from Umuseti”. “They later came, not only to ask for land but for right of way, before we knew it, they brought a bull dozer with the support of military officers, we reacted and asked them to leave which they did, only for them to return with caravans and started working, which is the reason why we called for a peaceful protest”, he said.
On his part, the community’s spokesman, Agbanashi Joshia said the forceful entry of Axxella into their land was unacceptable. He said the company which was said to be owned by the president of the country, should not force its way into people’s lands, rather the President should follow the rule of law and not use the military and police to scare them from their own land, as they would not allow it, adding that they have the Supreme Court judgement.
Speaking with journalists, the former Community Development Committee chairman, Mr. Eligbame Azubuike urged Axxella to dialogue with Emu Ebendo community.
The Chairman of the CDC, Mr. Sunday Enewuzo said the people of Emu Ebendo are peaceful and do not want to be at loggerheads with anyone, hence the peaceful protest. Some of the placards read “We have come in Peace to Possess our Possession”, “We are Saying No to Oppression, so, Axxela leave our land”. “Axxela Must Go, We Do Not Need You on Our Land”, “Emu-Ebendo is a Peaceful Community, We Are Saying No to Axxela Operations on Our Land.”
