By Mark Lenu
The people of Eleme in Rivers State have reacted over what they described as deliberate moves by the people of Okrika to illegally take over Eleme territory, insisting that the people of Eleme will not allow such to happen.
The President – General of the Eleme People’s Assembly, Israel Abbey told our correspondent that the rift between the Aleto community in Eleme and the Okrikans is nothing but an attempt by the Okrikans to fulfil their illegitimate developmental plan.
Abbey said the developmental plan of the Okrikans has three core agenda which include to occupy Eleme territory through the use of government connection, economic power and aggressive attacks.
He said the Oyigbos are also conniving with the Okrikans to illegally take over the territory of the Eleme people, noting that the Oyigbos had severally said their boundary neighbors are the Okrikans not the people of Eleme.
“What is happening between Eleme and Okrika is disheartening. The Okrikans have always been the ones looking for trouble. We have told them severally that attempting to occupy our land illegally will not work.
“The Supreme Court ruled that the land that the people of Eleme occupied belonged to the Eleme people. So, I don’t see any way the Okrikans would succeed in occupying our land illegally.
“If the Okrikans want some portion of our land, they should come legally. There are legitimate ways to go about it, not by aggression because it wouldn’t work by aggression,” he said.
The two ethnic groups share common boundaries with more federal assets sited on Eleme territory such as seaport, and refinery among others.
The upland area is occupied by the people of Eleme while the riverine area is occupied by the Okrikans but the Okrikans are insisting that the federal assets located within the upland also belong to their territory.
