Ebira people living around the Ebira Central Mosque in Okene, Kogi State, have reported the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Highness, Alh Ahmed Tijani Mohammed Anaje, to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, accusing the monarch of land grabbing
They also fingered the Director-General of Government House, Alh. Shaibu Oricha and Deputy Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Alhaji AbdulKudus, as collaborators who are using Ododo’s name to perpetuate the alleged land-grabbing in Okene.
Earlier, the Ohinoyi had, at a meeting in his palace, announced that the government of Kogi State had planned to take-over the properties around the Mosque for the purpose of expanding the worship place, a plan he said would be communicated to relevant stakeholders.
Alh. Shaibu Oricha, Director-General, Kogi State Government House, also stated that government would give options for peaceful compliance of forceful take-over, which could result in displacing residents of the area.
An aggrieved resident, Momohjimoh Suleiman, lamented staying that some of the houses around the mosque were older than the mosque.
“Some of their parents donated part of their land to the mosque, including Alhaji Adamu Attah, the former governor of Kwara State, who equally donated the land belonging to his mother to the mosque when there was need for an expansion then when he was the governor.”
He decried the planned action of the government without any formal communication to the resident families and other stakeholders.
The Chairman of the residents association, AbdulKareem Sadiq a.k.a. Express, appealed to Governor Ododo to call the monarch and others to order warning, “their actions are capable of destroying the image of his administration.”
