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BENIN – Edo State Deputy Governor, Honourable Dennis Idahosa, has said that the disputed forest reserve between Abere and Ajakuruma Ijaw communities of the Ovia South West Local Government Area belongs to the Edo state government.

The deputy governor who is the chairman of the state boundary committee subsequently barred members of the two communities from laying claims to the forest reserve.

The deputy governor made the declaration in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo, when he met with both communities, declaring the disputed reserve as government property and not “Bona Vacantia”

He directed both communities to maintain peace and adhere to the resolution of the state boundary committee on the disputed forest reserve.

Idahosa explained that it was criminal for either of the communities to go into the forest reserve to take ownership of the landmass as the area in dispute was not “Bona vacantia.”

He noted that documentary evidence available suggests that the area in question belonged to the government of Edo state.

“You cannot fight over what doesn’t belong to you. Documentary evidence showed that the landmass in question belonged to the state, a process verified through the use of digital Coordinates.

“Whatever we have done here today is in line with the law. Go back to your communities and ensure that there is peace. Anybody that wants to foment trouble should be ready to face the wrath of the law,” he emphasised.

The deputy governor commended the Ovia South West council chairman, Mr Nosakhare Edobor, for forestalling folkubal war that would have led to the lost of lives.

Edobor, who said the issue had been on for about seven months now, appealed to communities in the local government to always embrace dialogue in resolving contentious matters.