Igwo Community Rejects Secret Mining, Cries Over Ancestral Land

The people of Igwo community in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have raised alarm over what they describe as a secret deal to sell their ancestral land to a Chinese mining company without their consent.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP, the community’s elite chairman, Mr. Oseshi Igwo, alleged that some individuals connived with foreign miners to sell vast portions of their land, covering over 3,000 hectares, to a Chinese firm, Black Gem New Energy Limited.

“What we want the country to know is that our forefathers settled here and shared the land among the different clans. Suddenly, one of our sons, in collaboration with some Chinese, went behind the community and sold it off. We only got to know when papers started surfacing.”

According to him, the land in question is rich in mineral deposits, attracting many interests. But rather than negotiating transparently with the community, he claimed the deal was done secretly.

“Some boys brought the Chinese, and they claimed to have bought 3,000 hectares. We saw documents showing they applied for over 3,700 hectares. The painful part is that the community was never informed. The state government has even acknowledged their application for a Right of Occupancy. I have the evidence in my house,” he said.

The community further lamented that the letter represents proof that their land has been sold without their knowledge.

“The state government is aware. They are processing the Certificate of Occupancy. How can land be sold without the owners’ consent? This is unacceptable. They have even started working on the land and harassing some of our people. We will not keep quiet.”

He further lamented the crisis the development has sparked in the community, with court cases and police harassment allegedly instigated by those who facilitated the sale.

“The boy who sold the land has been dragging us from police to court. As a community leader, I cannot sit and watch this injustice. It is already causing chaos, and if nothing is done, it may lead to violence,” he warned.

Mr. Igwo, a former deputy chairman of Keffi Local Government and retired lecturer, said the community is united in its rejection of the deal and is calling for urgent intervention from the state and federal governments.

“We are crying out because we don’t want bloodshed. Our land is our heritage. No one has the right to sell it behind us. The government must stop this deal with the Chinese company. That is our demand,” he said.

A copy of the acknowledgement letter seen by LEADERSHIP from the Nasarawa Geographic Information Service confirmed that Black Gem New Energy Co. Ltd applied for a Statutory Right of Occupancy over 3,719.678 hectares in Agwada, Kokona LGA, for the purpose of industrial-scale mining.

The application was received on June 13, 2024, with supporting documents, including a site plan and survey data.

It stated; “This is to acknowledge the Application Form received on 13-June-2024 for Statutory Right of Occupancy In respect of a Parcel of Land with a Size of approximately 3719.678 HA in Karu and described by: AGWADA IN KOKONA LGA, for the purpose of INDUSTRIAL/HEAVY INDUSTRY (MINNING, MINERALS).

“The following documents were received: Application Form for R-of-O Change of Ownership Site Plan /TDP/Survey Data.”