Save Our Farmlands from Invasion, Delta Community Cries out to Govt

The Ajaji community in Illah, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, has appealed to the state government to halt the forceful acquisition of its vast community farmland through illegal encroachment by a private company, Northsworthy Investment Limited, which was planning an oil palm plantation in the area.

In a statement signed by the head of the community, Diokpa F.N.C. Chukwurah of Ajaji, which was made available to journalists in Asaba, the people called on the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid by intervening to halt further encroachment into the farmlands and destruction of their crops by the company.

The statement noted that efforts so far made, including peaceful protest to the farmland turned-project-site and previous formal appeals by the community to stop the invasion, have not yielded the desired result.

“Despite the peaceful protests, the destruction of the farmlands and cash crops belonging to both Ajaji people and tenants by the company's bulldozers has not been paid attention to.

“Even more worrisome is the fact that the company has allegedly taken advantage of the lockdown of the state and the consequent stay-at-home order of the state government to check the spread of the COVID-19, to continue the destruction while using armed soldiers to intimidate the people,” it further observed.

The community warned that it would be left with no other option than to explore all legal avenues for redress if the government failed to do the needful by calling the company to order without further delay.

The statement by Chukwurah read: "We are shocked that while Nigerians have been ordered to stay at home in effort to check the COVID-19 pandemic, Northsworthy Investment Limited bulldozers have been wreaking havoc on our law-abiding community.

"On daily basis, our farmland and cash crops worth hundreds of millions of naira are being destroyed by the company's bulldozers.

"This glaring undeserved provocation is made worse by the declaration of the company officials that the soldiers have been ordered by the authority to shoot at sight any unauthorised person at the projects site.”