Sponsored armed youths over the weekend at Ogbeoje, Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area, Delta State, unlawfully prevented a detachment of the Nigeria Police force from the State headquarters Asaba, from carrying out their lawful duties.
The Police, who were there to execute a court order from the Akwukwu-Igbo high court in a consent land judgment delivered by the Honourable Justice M. C. Okoh in suit numbers AKU /39/2022 and AKU/7/2023 between Ogbeoje community and the State Ministry of Information Cooperative Society, were prevented from carrying out their duties by armed youths, allegedly sponsored by one Augustine Okafor, alias Muanya, a land speculator, who initially sold the six acres of land to the Cooperative society about 13 years ago, fully aware that the land does not belong to him.
According to officials from the Ministry of Information Cooperative Society, the land was sold to them by one Augustine Okafor alias Muanya thirteen years ago, and when the members were about to develop the land, the society received form 48 and 49 asking them to appear in court because the said vendor, Muanya lost his case with his village in a judgment delivered by the Honourable Justice M.C. Okoh in suit number AKU/65/2015. This judgment strips Okafor Augustin of any title to the said land. The court in its wisdom ruled that the cooperative society was not part of the consent judgment between Augustine Okafor and his village since they were not joined in the said suit. Not satisfied with the court ruling, the village sued the cooperative society directly, to vacate the land. The case prolonged for more than two years and the cooperative society decided to formalize with the village as the vendor, Augustine Okafor became incommunicado.
The Cooperative Society eventually repurchased the said acres of land for N48m (Forty Eight Million) naira, and consent judgment was entered between the village and the cooperative society in suit number AKU /39/2022 and AKU/7/2023.
The cooperative society then took all legal and lawful means to take possession of their land, and in the cause of this, the same Augustine Okafor, who had also resold the land to some other persons mobilized some community hoodlums to obstruct justice.
The wisdom of the police detachment however, saved the situation as the boys, who boasted of having affiliation with the indigenous People of Biafra IPOB boasted to kill anybody who tries to cross some certain lines.
Speaking to newsmen the leader of the group, who is alleged to be a member of IPOB, Daniel Ofuasia Amamize, said that his annoyance is that the village elders did not consider them in the sharing of the money paid by the State Ministry of Information Cooperative Society.
Amamize admitted that he was fully aware of the court judgment but decided to obstruct the police from carrying out their duties because his group did not partake in the sharing of the money.
However, the elders of the village were at the police headquarters to report the incident where they revealed that the said Amamize is involved in illegal sale of land and also the strike man of Augustin Okafor.
As at the time of going to the press, the Cooperative officials have lodged a formal petition with the Nigeria police at the police criminal investigation department {SCID], Police Headquarters, Asaba.