The people of Uvwie kingdom in Delta State yesterday embarked on a walk around Effurun metropolis to celebrate the reclaiming of their land from the Army.
They were received by the Ovie of Uvwie kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso, Abe I, at his palace at Effurun GRA, headquarters of Uvwie Local Government.
Addressing reporters over the development, the monarch said: “For peace, we said the judiciary would be the best area. It is the only place for the common man. We have no people in the government, but we have God.
“They started selling our land and we found out. They encroached on our land, going to the villages to mark houses, destroying our crops, threatening our lives because I towed the path of peace. Otherwise, it would have been a bloodshed.”
The traditional ruler said his people conceded that much size of land to the Army because the Federal Government made them believe it wanted to build the main campus of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), established in 1964, in Effurun.
“We believed army education would bring development to the community, but since the military academy was eventually located in Kaduna, the government decided to use the acquired land for the building of army barracks now known as 3 Battalion Barracks, Effurun.”
A Delta High Court sitting in Effurun on Tuesday declared the acquisition of parts of Ohore 1 community by the Army as null and void.
The court, presided over by Justice Roli-Daibo Harriman, fined the military N1 million for trespassing the area.
The case with suit number: EHC/41/2014 had Mr. Godwin Imiruaye, Mr. Lucky Utebu, Chief Julius Oghojamuni and Ohore 1 community as claimants, while the Army, Minister of Justice, as well as six others were defendants.
Counsel for the claimants led by former Delta Attorney General, Chief Victor Otomiewo, had approached the court to declare that prior to promulgation of the Land Use Act, the claimants being the persons in occupation and possession of all parcels of land at Ohore, did not fall within any area of land acquired by the army at the time for the use by the defendants.
They also asked the High Court to declare that any acquisition of Ohore 1 land without due process and without evidence of compliance with all the relevant laws and the constitution is null and void.
The court agreed with Chief Otomiewo and restrained the Army from further trespassing the area.
