By EVELYN USMAN

Unlike several Nigerians who leave  the shores of the country in search of greener pastures overseas, majority of Agbeye indegenes of Osun state opted for   Oyinbogbeni by-pass camp of Okomu village in Ovia South-West local government area of Edo state, where they engaged in cocoa plantation,with a view to earning a better living.

Their industrious characteristics later turned the hitherto quiet camp located by the riverside of the area into a beehive of activities , as people from far and near patronized their cocoa business.

Sadly for the peasant farmers, a misfortune that turned their glorious story into a sad one hit the settlement last December, after some person masquerading as ‘Militants’ in military camouflage invaded the camp. The armed men as gathered, maimed, dispossessed the hapless settlers of cash and their cocoa products.

Not done with the molestation, the invaders later discovered to be militants also reportedly burnt down some houses which the settlers had come to regard as homes.

Unfortunately, two of the settlers identified as Messrs Lukuman Olaniyan and Wasiu Olagunju, were reportedly whisked away without any knowledge of their whereabouts till date.

A worried indigene of Agbeye community in Osun , Mr Okunoye Ganiu told Crime Guard that several petitions had been written to the authorities concerned without any response. The Edo state Commissioner of Police according to Mr Okunoye was petitioned on June 7, 2011 about the militants initial threat but no measure was taken to address the issue. Also, the Director of the State Security Service SSS, Edo state command was petitioned. And like the first, there was no response as well.

...the missing farmers, Wasiu (l) Lukuman

Angered by the unfolding scenario, the settlers decided to petition the Commander 4 Mechanise Brigade of the Nigerian Army , Benin City , Edo state on September 20, 2011 and November 30, 2011 respectively. But no move according to Okunoye was made to arrest the miscreants, until the last invasion in December.

One of the petitions titled ‘Criminal Invasion , killing and kidnapping of farmers at Oyinbogbeni camp by militants group led by Mr Yanbor Lawrence and Mr Oyinsco Ateele’, addressed to the Commander 4 Mechanise Brigade and signed by one Mr A.U Osunde for Olayiwola \Afolabi and Co read in part;

“ The above named persons led a group of persons and invaded the camp of our client at about 9am on November 29,2011. During the said invasion, about fifteen houses were burnt down, four persons were shot and seriously wounded. While two of them escaped with serious bullet injuries, the other two were not so lucky as they were taken away by these hoodlums.

“These hoodlums returned again the next day to finish the unfinished job, by razing down the remaining houses in the camp and carted away about six tonnes of our client’s processed cocoa as well as burnt six motorcycles belonging to our client”

The petition explained that the decision to contact the Nigerian Army became necessary after efforts to seek the attention of security operatives like the Police and State Security Services proved abortive.

The circumstance that signaled the settlers’ untold harassment and forceful ejection from their Eden , according to Okunoye, began with the introduction of payment of fees to the tune of N500,000 by the host community .

“ They were also subjected to pay other forms of levies ranging from N200,000 to N250,000 annually. Aside these levies, my people were also forced to pay other incidental expenses for road maintenance or other forms of assistance to any bereaved member of the host community.

My people had huge investments in cocoa and therefore continued to endure all manner of harassment and forceful extortion in order to maintain peace.

“The settlers problem,” he said, “heightened after the new community chairman was appointed.” He alleged that “ the chairman constituted a militant group and bought assorted guns and other weapons for them. He also provided for the militant group numbering over 20 members with military uniform.

“Since then, my people have known no peace . This group moves from one camp to another beating and extorting money from my people. Most times, my people are held hostage until a ransom is paid before they are released. They have boasted severally that nobody, not even government security agency can ever get to them let alone to arrest them”

The fate of the captured men according to him was unknown. “ Why would anybody abduct two full grown men without any word from them since. If they were kidnapped , then ransom should have been demanded for their release. Our fear is that they might have been killed by their abductors. Even if they have been killed then , where is their bodies?” asked Mr Okunoye.

“I am using this medium to plead to the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo state government to come to the aid of my people”.

When Crime Guard contacted some members of the host community on phone, most of them refused to speak, for fear of being implicated. In fact, one of them who simply gave his name as Oboisogie, said he would not want to be dragged into what he described as ‘high powered politics’

Effort to reach the spokesman for the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer failed as his phone rang without response. One possible reason given by a senior police officer at the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department on why police could not get the alleged perpetrators arrested was the location of the camp.

Oyinbogbeni bypass camp can be accessed via Okomu Oil Palm Company through coconut village, from where a boat is boarded to Oyinbogbeni bypass camp. However, the only alternative route is through Nikorowa by road which unfortunately is also not motorable.