Edo Federal Lawmaker Warns Against Land Grabbing, Inclusion of Edo Territory in Proposed Toru-Be State

Omoruyi 

Hendrix Oliomogbe

A federal lawmaker, Mr. Murphy Osaro Omoruyi (Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Constituency of Edo State) has vehemently kicked against the attempts by some persons and interest groups to cede parts of Edo territory to the proposed Toru-Be State.

Hon. Omoruyi who spoke in Abuja in a media chat with journalists noted that some persons and groups with vested interests are trying to hide under the cover of state creation to illegally annex parts of Edo land particularly the historically significant communities within Ovia and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas.

While insisting that the move is unacceptable to Benin people, the lawmaker said the proponents of the proposed Toru-Be State in an attempt to include parts of Edo land in the new state, outrightly assaulted the territorial integrity, cultural identity and the ancestral heritage and affinities of the indigenous people. 

Hon. Omoruyi who listed some Edo  communities being targeted by these merchants of new state creation include: Ughoton, Siluko, Aghamioba, Udo (Okomu), Ekenwan, Ikoro, Obazuwa, Ologbo and its riverine communities said these communities are not just a mere geographic spaces but integral foundational pillars of the revered ancient Benin Kingdom that signpost centuries-old traditions, institutions and communal ownership that cannot be traded off for political convenience or regional bargaining. 

The House of Representatives member called for a restraint on the proposed Toru-Be State creation, dominated by Ijaw people in the riverine areas of Edo State, adding: 

"No individual, group, caucus leader or external lobby has the legal, moral, cultural or political authority to surrender Edo land to any proposed state creation initiative. Any such attempt is a direct provocation and will be met with unified and unyielding resistance from the people of Edo State."

The federal lawmaker counseled that state creation must not be used as a tool to destabilize existing boundaries or undermine the sovereignty of a people over their ancestral territories, emphasizing that Edo people are not against development or national restructuring, but will not accept solutions that threaten the territorial integrity, heritage or unity of Edo State. 

Hon. Omoruyi, therefore demanded an immediate halt to any suggestion, negotiations or proposals that involve carving out any part of Edo State for the purpose of the creation of Toru-Be State, even as he urged relevant authorities, stakeholders, and representatives from the South-South geopolitical zone to respect established historical boundaries and refrain from actions capable of generating tension, discord and unrest.