Land-grabbing: Edo widow alleges conversion of her land to cemetery

A 60-year-old widow, Mrs Esther Aimhekagbon, has accused one Uzama Osaretin-Alexander of converting her land into a burial ground.

Aimhekagbon made the allegation on Thursday when she appeared before the Edo State Private Properties Protection Committee, headed by Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga (rtd.).

The sexagenarian told the committee that she bought the land with her late husband’s pension’s benefit.

She said she was surprised that Osaretin-Alexandert went there to bury persons on the land.

“I bought my land measuring 50/100 in Egor Community in 2001 only to be alerted by a neighbour that a grave was being dug in the land few years after.

“Later in the evening, I was there and witnessed as the respondent brought in a corpse and buried on the land.

“This happened in 2016, making it two corpses that the respondent had buried on the land.

“He had earlier buried a woman, I learnt this latest one was the daughter of that woman,” Aimhekagbon further alleged.

She said that she knew the respondent “very well that he cannot deny it”.

The widow pleaded with the committee to help her recover the land which, she said, was bought with her late husband’s death benefit paid to her children by NITEL.

Responding, Alexander denied the allegation of having buried corpses in the petitioner’s land.

He said he had nothing to do with the land and also denied having met Aimhekagbon.

NAN reports that the committee had directed the Investigative Police Team to visit the land to verify the petitioner’s claim.

Meanwhile, the petitioner further said that her vendor, Chief Reuben Ogiegor, died shortly after transferring the land to her but said that her witnesses were still alive.

The case was adjourned to July 8, while investigations continued.