Soldiers Flogging of Protesting Women Barbaric-Lawmaker …Urges Buhari to Call Edo Govt, Bini Palace to order …Tension rises over missing 87yrs old woman

DELTA-ADVOCATENG.COM—-(Onitsha Shedrack)–The member representing Ethiope East Constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. (Chief) Evance Ochuko Ivwurie, has condemned the flogging and booting of some protesting old women by soldiers engaged by Presco Plc and Newcross Petroleum Limited; describing their actions a barbaric and repulsive.

He expressed deep shock at the ruthless manner in which the Nigerian Army attacked, beat up and injured the hapless women who were peacefully protesting the forceful takeover of their farm lands by Edo State Government, Presco Plc and Newcross Petroleum Limited because of the oil wells discovered in the community.

In a press statement sent to ADVOCATE, Hon. Ivwurie, warned of dire consequence should Presco Plc Soldiers/ Edo State Government continue with their aggressive behavior and attacks on innocent Ovre r’Eku/ Ethiope-East citizens living in Eku ancestral land again, adding that, “Eku, Agbon and indeed Delta State is prepared to take sporadic and spontaneous actions to checkmate troublemakers.”

While lambasting the Edo State Government and Bini Palace over what he termed; “annexation and appropriation approach signaled with the invasion, take over and conquest action of Soldiers attached to Presco Plc in Ovre r’Eku and supported by the Edo State Government,” he called on the military authority to fish out the soldiers involved in the shameful act.

Hon. Ivwurie whose timely intervention and visit saved the situation from escalating as the entire Eku Community had mobilized its youths and men for revenge attack called on; “President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff to as a matter of urgency to fish out all those soldiers attached to Presco Plc led by one Lt. E.D. Oworobo who invaded Ovre r’Eku and beat up, flogged and injured our mothers and grandmothers.”

As we speak, 5 days after the attack, Mama Alice Agbemrehwue Omadefe -87 years old is still missing and the entire Ovre r’Eku community search party for her has not yield any fruit. Also, tens of motorcycles and bicycles ceased from the community youths who came to the rescue of the women are still missing.

While commiserating with the injured women and the entire Eku Community, he assured them of a speedy response from the relevant authorities in order to ensure that justice to prevail.

According to him, “I was shocked and still in pains over the extremely brutal and barbaric action of the men of the Nigerian Army engaged by Presco Plc on fragile old women who were peacefully protesting the illegal takeover, invasion and annexure of their ancestral lands by the Edo State Government, Presco Plc and Newcross Petroleum Limited which has caused tens of the women to end up in hospital beds because of the Edo State Government desperation to appropriate the land as a result of the discovery of lucrative oil wells in the land.

He reminded the Chief of Army Staff and the Brigade Commander of the 4th Brigade of the Nigerian Army Benin City; “that the greatness of the Nigerian Army does not depend on wrecking havoc and violating the communal rights and sovereignty of its Nationals and appealed to the Chief of Army Staff  to identify all those soldiers-culprits led by one Lt. E.D. Oworobo who attacked, beat up, flogged and injured our old and young mothers during their peaceful protest to Presco Plc at Ovre r’Eku on the 02/03/16.”

The President General of Eku Progress Union Chief Joseph Ukueku in his reactions noted that Ovre r’Eku the land which has been illegally occupied by the agents of Edo State Government is the ancestral home of the Eku people.

He said that the takeover became evident about three years ago when Newcross Petroleum Limited discovered several Oil wells at Ovre r’Eku. This discovery prompted the Edo State Government to connive with Presco Plc to introduce a farmer’s union which led to the tricky takeover of our lands.

Speaking further, he said that Presco Plc later alleged that, “the Oba of Benin had sold the entire Ovre r’Eku land to them and within a blink, they brought in bulldozers and started crushing down their houses, crops, destroying the farm lands and desecrating Eku ancestral home.

“Eku hardworking women, whose mainstay is farming, resorted to self help after series of failed SOS to relevant authorities by embarking on a peaceful protest to the Management of Presco Plc on March 2nd, 2016 but were greeted with Bestial Attack by soldiers employed by Presco who molested, harassed, flogged and beat them like wild beasts.