By Abdulwahab Abdulah

Members of Imiefo kindred of Kalaba of Afokpella- Okpella, Edo State, have threatened legal action against  Obu Cement Company Limited, OCCL, a subsidiary of BUA Group of Companies, for operating on their land without consent. In a statement by their lawyer,  Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, the community challenged the purported owner’s consent allegedly issued by the traditional ruler of Okpella Clan, the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, Alhaji A.Y.F. Dirisu, to the company to  operate on  their land without approval.

They said: “The entire stretch of land, known as Ogbagu (a land rich in Limestone, Felspar, and other minerals), located at Okpella, Etsako East Local Government, Edo State, has been held for years  under their native law and custom.” The community who argued that it was against every sense of decent conduct for the company to enter into an agreement with a third party to exploit their land, vowed to deploy every lawful means to protect their land, including going to court, until OCCL retraces its steps.

The letter partly read: “The principal members of the family have informed us that the traditional ruler of the Okpella Clan, HRH Alh. (Dr.) A.Y.F. Dirisu, JP, OON, the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella has purportedly shaved their heads in their absence by granting your company ‘owner’s consent’ to enable it exploit the mineral deposits in the said Ogbagu land.

“Although the details of the purported grant remains shrouded in secrecy, the said traditional monarch attempted to confirm the allegation by delivering to the Imiefo kindred, the sum  N2million only, said to be their share of the amount allegedly paid by your company to the monarch. “Our instruction is to declare categorically that the traditional ruler of Okpella does not have the legal or customary authority to grant consent for the exploitation of the ancestral land of Imiefo kindred without the consent of the principal members of the kindred.

“Whilst our clients do not deny that the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella is a stakeholder in matters concerning Ogbagu land, he, not being a member of the Imiefo kindred lacks the vires to alienate or otherwise deal with Ogbagu land which belongs exclusively to the Imiefo kindred.

“Take notice that unless we receive through this law office, a satisfactory proposal for remedying the breach already committed by your company in collusion with the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, we shall not hesitate to deploy all available legal remedies at our disposal to protect the rights of our clients.