About 300 Fulani indigenes, mostly herdsmen, have taken over a section of Okpanam community, Oshimili North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, South-south Nigeria.
The aliens are said to be slowly turning the occupied area into a community without the authorisation of the traditional ruler (Ugoani) of Okpanam Kingdom, Michael Ogbolu.
Ogbolu raised the alarm during a tripartite meeting, last week, at his palace in Okpanam, involving the indigenes, chairman of Oshimili North LGA, Innocent Esewezie and Fulani leaders, as the community gave the intruders a 15-day ultimatum to vacate the area they are occupying.
“We gave them 15 days with which to relocate and that by July 14, 2022, the council chairman will go there (occupied area) himself to witness the evacuation,” the monarch told Vanguard.
Meanwhile, displeased with the directive, some of the herders took to the Benin-Asaba highway in protest. Their spokesperson, Idris Abubakar, said they were legal occupants of Oshimili as they pay rents.
Commenting on the matter, the state Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the government was not aware of invasion of parts of Okpanam land by herdsmen.
Aniagwu however stated that there were some northerners in the area doing menial jobs to earn a living, urging everyone to live in peace.
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