Elders of Emu Ebendo community in Ndokwa West council, Delta State, protested against what they called “forceful entry of Axxella company to their ancestral land.”
Though the protest was peaceful, it paralysed businesses for a while, as the community youths joined the elderly people to drive home their demands.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, such as: “Emu Ebendo is a peaceful community, we are saying no to Axxella operations on our land; Axxella can not take our land from us by force; Axxella must go, we do not need you on our land; Axxella, we can not be intimidated, leave our land,” among others.
The protest, which lasted hours, was firmly rooted in the principles of peace, amid military personnel who were seen milling around the “encroached” land.
One of the leaders of the community, Chief Eni Augustine Enum, lamented the sudden encroachment on their land but vowed to resist the grabbers because “we don’t let go of what is ours when it comes to land.”
“This land known as Oluji has been our land. We have been working peacefully on it until when a community we brought in called Obodogna came to see that there is oil in this place.
“But, this community which had been under us, challenged the ownership of the land. Our people challenged them legally until we got judgement in our favour at the supreme court,” he said.
According to him, Axxella erroneously bought the land from unauthorised persons and brought bulldozers to the land with military support.
“We quickly reacted by coming peacefully too to reach out to all the people that matter to advise Axxella to leave the land without further delay,” he said.
Spokesperson of the community, Agbanishi Josiah, also expressed disappointment over the way and manner Axxella company forcefully entered the land.
“We will not allow it because Axxella can not come with infiltrators and take over our land, never,” he said.
The chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Sunday Chukwuka and the immediate past secretary, advised Axxella company to do the needful if it is really interested to do business in the community.
At press time, Axxella has not reacted to the development as phone calls and messages sent to its Corporate Communications & Branding Manager, Omolara Shitu were not responded to.
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