Uzanu Community in Etsako East Local Government, Edo State wrote to the acting Nigerian Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba over the communal crisis between Igiode Community.
The crisis led to the revocation Uzanu Clan and the dethronement of the traditional ruler by the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
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The crisis has also led to the arrest and detention of some elders from the community and a threat of warrant of arrest on the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba.
In a letter obtained by Control TV, the leadership of Uzanu noted that recently, the Igiode Community in a news report, called on the acting IGP to save them from the hands of Uzanu Community.
“The said publication was not only concocted with deception and unbridled passion to mislead the public over the land dispute between the two communities, but also to tarnish the reputation and image of our people as well as the unwitty attempt to further embarrass and vilify the person of the Honourable Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, an illustrious son of the community.”
Uzanu community stated that “if there was a crisis leading to the allegation levied against our people, reports would have been made to the Divisional Police Office Agenebode, which would have invited both communities and carried out their independent investigations.”
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Uzanu leadership alleged that the communal crisis was “deliberately invented, concocted and being nurtured by the authorities of Edo state, to achieve its conceived objective using the Igiode Community as a tool in a desperate bid to meet their objectives.”
The leadership, in a letter dated 30th April, called on the the IGP to “set up an independent investigative panel to unravel the genuineness and otherwise of the allegations levied against Uneme-Uzanu by the Igiode
Community with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book in a timely manner, envisioned to douse the tension in both communities and to act as a deterrent to false alarmists, mischief-makers, anarchists and other criminal elements.
“The same Panel is expected to also painstakingly look into Uneme-Uzanu’s security concerns and threat to their existence as an independent community by the Igiode community and their cohorts.
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“Given the volatile nature of the current relationship and mistrust between the two communities, we use this opportunity to request for full protection of our communities by the Police in order to safeguard our lives and properties
“We appeal to the Inspector General of Police to consider the immediate intervention on the release of our kinsmen unlawfully detained over the unfounded allegation in order not to thwart the fragile peace already existing between the two communities. If there is clear evidence of criminal acts proved against them, they should be charged to court immediately and accordingly in line with the laws of our land as against
their wrongful continued incarceration.
“We equally appeal to the IGP to make good his position by ensuring that a thorough investigation is carried out and justice served accordingly as any attempt to allow ongoing political interference and manipulations
designed to pervert justice to fester will further aggravate the situation.”
© ControlTV 2021.
