Benue community protests land encroachment

Residents of Igah community in Igumale district of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest over an alleged encroachment on their land by a neighbouring community, Rijo, of Utonkon district in the same Ado area.

The protesters, made up of the elderly, women and youths, carried placards and leaves along the major roads leading to the secretariat of the local government area at Igumale, where they delivered a letter to the chairman, James Oche.

The leader of Igah community and Ole’Aje of Igumale, Chief Ogomole Obande, told the council chairman that Rijo community had failed to keep to the agreement earlier entered with them, and therefore, should vacate their land to avoid unnecessary crisis.

Our correspondent gathered that Igah community had, a long time ago, leased a portion of their land to Rijo for farming, and in return, received royalties at the end of every farming season.

It was, however, learnt that Rijo had since 2006 stopped to pay the agreed royalties and now laying claim to the land, allocating and selling parts of it to other neighbouring communities without recourse to Igah, said to be the owners of the land.

Trouble started when Igah community, worried about the development, ordered the Rijo people to vacate the land and the latter refused to do so.

Chief Obande, while addressing the council chairman, emphasised that the activities of Rijo community on their land was totally against the initial understanding they had.

Responding, the council chairman, Chief Oche, urged Igah community to continue to maintain peace and not take the laws into their hands.

He promised that the council would wade into the disagreement between both communities.