Surveyor killed in Bayelsa communal land dispute

THE State Criminal Investigation Department, Bayelsa State Police Command, has commenced investigation into the circumstances that led to the murder of a surveyor, Kolu Eddy, in Yenagoa, the state capital.
A source at the SCID, who spoke with Southern City News on the condition of anonymity, said, “This matter is being handled by the SCID and the department is seriously probing the circumstances that led to the death of the surveyor.”
It was learnt that the surveyor was murdered over a land dispute between Okutukutu and Opolo communities.
Eddy was allegedly killed by a mob from Okutukutu in the course of supervising demolition of buildings on the disputed land by Opolo indigenes.
A landlord, who gave his name only as Joseph, whose house was demolished, said indigenes of Opolo brought in bulldozers into the controversial piece of land to pull down the houses.
He said the Opolo people claimed ownership of the piece of land sold to developers by some indigenes of Okutukutu.

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Joseph said, “On the fateful day, about two weeks ago, Opolo people came in large numbers to the disputed land with armed policemen and two bulldozers. They demolished houses along a section of the land.
“The surveyor, Eddy, was supervising the exercise. He followed one of the bulldozers into an unprotected area, unknown to him that angry youths from Okutukutu were monitoring his movement.”
He said the mob, armed with weapons, trailed the surveyor, caught and slaughtered him.
A driver of a bulldozer, he said, was inflicted with a deep cut on his head while attempting to escape from the angry mob.
“The surveyor on his part was not as lucky as the bulldozer operator as he was deeply and severely attacked with cutlasses. They abandoned him in the pool of his blood and ran away following police intervention.
“The surveyor was still breathing when help came his way. But the only problem was that the nearest hospital was located at Okutukutu and the people of Opolo were afraid that the mob would come after them if they tried taking him to the clinic.
“They decided to take the victim to another hospital, but he gave up the ghost before they could get to the hospital.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said security operatives had arrested one suspect in connection with the incident.
Butswat said the police would arrest more suspects before referring the matter to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice.