By Festus Ahon

UGHELLI—The Wayone Katu family in Ughelli, Delta State, has petitioned the Chairman of Udu Local Government Area, Delta State, Mr. Henry Sakpra over his alleged trespass on a parcel of land belonging to the family (Wayone) in the council.

The family in the petition to the Area Commander, Warri Police Command, through their counsel, said, “Wayone Katu family is the owner of a large piece or parcel of land situate at Off Udu/ECN/Ughelli Road, Ovwian and we have been in peaceable possession of the land until recently when Mr. Sakpra rolled in Council’s bulldozers into the land and destroyed our economic trees and farm crops.

“We observed this criminal trespass and massive destruction of our property and protested the act of the Chairman in abusing his office and power by entering in our family land and destroying our crops. The protest was through the traditional medium of arbitration and we wanted to see the process through.

“But Sakpra aborted the process and mobilized armed youths, who are part of the known army of militants he has hired and armed, to the site on September 16, 2010 to forcibly protect workers he had mobilized to work on the land. On becoming aware of the renewed invasion of our family’s land, we went to ask them to stop. Mr Sakpra’s armed militants instead attacked us and other members of our family, using arms, fists, kicks and other weapons.

“Finally Sakpra invited policemen from Ovwian Aladja Police Station. The Policemen when they arrived the scene, took sides with Sakpra and his boys rather than creating an atmosphere that would have encouraged a non violent civil approach to the issue.

“The Policemen encouraged the workers to continue working on our land and assisted Sakpra and his boys to drive our family people away from the land. Sakpra has continued to work on our land, boasting that because of his wealth and political status, no agency of of the state can prevail on him to stop. He further used his army of thugs and the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that he continues his occupation of the land and our family is in no position to do him anything.

“He added that he had taken care of police before commencing the development on the land and that he chose this period that state High Courts were on annual vacation to continue work on the land.

“We may not be as powerful, wealthy or well connected as Sakpra, but we are unwilling to let him unlawfully take over our land without putting up legitimate defence of our right to the land. We also are ready and willing to confront Sakpra and his thugs unless we see the law working in a just and fair manner by the appropriate law enforcement agencies,” the family added in the petition.