Delta State: When buildings fell under govt’s order

June 4, Delta State Commissioner of Environment and head of the sanitation committee, Frank Omare, led six bulldozers and security agents to Ifiekporo and Jala, suburbs of Warri, to destroy about 65 residential buildings. EBENEZER ADUROKIYA, who visited the communities, reports the residents’ trauma.

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MRS Jegede’s pregnancy was in an advanced stage. She had hoped to have a safe delivery right in her husband’s newly completed house at Ifiekporo. Lamentations of varying decibel tore through her quiet vicinity, rudely waking her up on June 4. She observed the chaos through her window. The bulldozers’ ruthless frenzy met with the residents’ wailing. The scene was a tragic commotion. 

She pleaded for mercy but she got none. She could only lay her hands on some electronics but fleeing for her life. But her immediate neighbours were not lucky; they only came back to meet the debris.

‘My house was not marked for demolition’For 72-year-old Pa David Ebido, a retired marine engineer and a victim of the exercise, nothing could have been crueler. Without betraying any emotion, the septuagenarian told Sunday Tribune that his house was “a big size three-bedroom flat. I retired from marine engineering in 2005. I no longer have a job. But not to be absolutely idle, I stationed a caravan in front of my house where I rent out wheelbarrows, shovels, spades and sometimes make and sell cement blocks to feed myself and one of my little children living with me.

“I spent everything I had in erecting the building for myself and children. But I could only escape with some of my belongings when hell was let loose on June 4. My house was not marked for demolition when they came calling two years ago to mark houses built on the Royal Cemetery. The marked houses are far from mine,” he lamented. 

Other victims of the exercise include Abiloye Erikorevwe, a businessman; Alex Iwere, an offshore worker; John Akperi, also an offshore worker; Paul Ireyeforju, a lecturer; Labod; Gbesimi Oma; Alex Uwatse, among others. 

‘The land is the cemetery to dead traditional rulers’The land, in which these structures were erected, was said to be a royal cemetery, where past traditional rulers of Itsekiri, beginning from the progenitor, Obama Ginuwa 1, numbering 18 were serially buried. The cemetery is a seemingly endless expanse of land, often dreaded, in the distant past. 

An elder of Ifiekporo, Sunny Nikoro, availed this reporter some facts available at the grove, which he said he could still recollect. Popularly called Dav Dav, the cemetery was said to hold the tombs of past Itsekiri monarchs, thus making it a revered locale among the people. 

According to him, every son and daughter of Itsekiri is aware that the grove is sacred and royal exclusively reserved for demised royal fathers of the land. Consequently, he blamed the buyers of the pieces of land on which buildings were erected for desecrating the tombs of their ancestors.

The victims, however, had a different view. They claimed the portion of the expanse of land where they bought and built their houses had been mapped out by about four Itsekiri chiefs, who came in the past on the heels of a rumour that got to the present Olu of Warri that the royal cemetery had been encroached. It was gathered that the four chiefs allegedly sent by Atuwatse II mapped out 25 acres for the Royal Cemetery and left the rest of the land to Ifiekporo and Jala communities. 

Mr Uwatse, whose bungalow was also demolished, stated that truly, some elements had erected building foundations close to the cemetery which the state government had said it would demolish.

“It took all of us unawares. We were told they were coming for those foundations close to the cemetery and not building that were close to the road. I just completed my house and was planning to move in when they came to demolish it; I spent a lot of money on it. We are all citizens; they are frustrating us,” he said. 

One of the leaders of Ifiekporo community, Chief David Eyifoma, confirmed that the government did not inform the victims nor the community leadership before the demolition was embarked on. He said they were only told that they were going to remove building extensions obstructing free-flow of traffic on major roads.

“They did not inform us that they were coming to destroy people›s houses. But we heard on radio that they were coming to destroy illegal structures. The buildings demolished were not illegal structures because they bought it from the community executives. The sale of the land may be a mix up, but the youth leader sold the lands to the victims,” Eyifoma stated. 

Speaking on who had power over the cemetery, he added that the office of the  Olu of Warri is directly in charge of the cemetery, saying, however, that he did not know where the order of the demolition emanated from. 

None of them obtained certificate of occupancy —Commissioner of EnvironmentMeanwhile, the Commissioner of Environment and chairman of the Sanitation Task Force, Frank Omare, while responding to the alleged callous demolition exercise at Ifiekporo, said the entire Royal Cemetery belonged to the state government. He said none of the owners of the demolished buildings could claim to have a C of O duly obtained from the Ministry of Land and Survey for their building. 

“People, who built on government land at Ifiekporo built on nothing, because the government owns the land. The people should always go to the Ministry of Land and Survey to obtain their C of O to back up their claim,” he said. 

He added that the land was acquired by the government during the era of the then Bendel State and well gazetted. 

He said there would be no compensation for the demolition of any illegal structure, saying “you can’t trespass on government’s land and go free. I led the team there and I take full responsibility for the demolition.” 

However, victims of the exercise who spoke to Sunday Tribune showed their papers covering the purchase and authority to build on the parcels of land. 

Rights activist flay government The executive director of Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged (CENTREP), Ogenejabor Ikimi, frowned at the alleged violation of due process by Omare, saying it was an arrogant display of barbarism and “a naked show of executive rascality.”

Ikimi, who claimed the victims were not privy to the state government’s intention before the exercise, affirmed that over 200 families had been rendered homeless in the name of securing a burial site for Itsekiri traditional rulers.

“If we may ask, was it not the duty of the state Ministry of Lands and Urban Development to have alerted land developers at the point of applying for the approval of their proposed buildings that the land in question was encumbered or that same was reserved as a burial ground for monarchs and a heritage site for that matter?  

“Was it not incumbent on the ministry to protect prospective land developers from the unwholesome activities of land speculators through the provision of a data base of all publicly acquired lands in the state as done in Lagos State and other civilized climes?

“Why did the State Ministry of Lands and Urban Development through its Circle Office collect building approval fees from concerned landowners after inspection?

“We like to reiterate here that it is the primary responsibility of government to ensure the security and welfare of its citizens in accordance with Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” he argued.

A drama ensued between two Hausa scavengers who threw caution to the wind, fighting over aluminum they exhumed from one of the houses. Some of the houses were collapsed upon all items available in them. 

Although unconfirmed, it was gathered that no fewer than two victims had died from high blood pressure after the demolition of their lifetime investment while another was on danger list at an undisclosed hospital in Warri. 

Mr Jegede, who spoke with this reporter at the site of his demolished building, described the act as “wicked because when you want to do a thing like that, it is not proper to give a verbal notice alone; this is a building we are talking about for God’s sake. For your information, two people have died because of this situation.” 

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan had admitted few weeks ago in Asaba while addressing journalists from the state that his government had, undoubtedly, failed the masses in the area of housing. Expressing his inability to erect a single block for his numerous civil servants, the governor only hoped that his successor would embark on projects in that area, since no single government could execute all projects. 

Two of the victims, Pa Ebido and Mr Jegede expressed great disappointment over rendering them homeless. “The government’s action is wrong. I advise them to save me from the embarrassment of squatting in a boys quarter belonging to my neighbour as well as the hardship associated with old age,” the 72-year-old marine engineer said