A group, the Association for Better Bonny (ABB) has raised alarm over alleged conspiracy by some chieftaincy houses and unscrupulous elements to destroy the ancestral heritage and customary laws of Bonny Kingdom by allegedly engaging in the sale of lands to non-indigenes.  

ABB, which comprises some concerned citizens and critical stakeholders of Bonny Kingdom, described the development as ‘treacherous and inimical’ and a potential threat to the peaceful co-existence of the Bonny people, warning those illegally acquiring landed properties in Bonny Local Government Area to be wary of such moves as they stand the risk of losing such properties to the community.   

Leader of the group, Ibiwari Jumbo told Kristina Reports that “It has come to the notice of the concerned citizens and critical stakeholders of Bonny Kingdom that certain person or group of persons and some war canoe houses have conspired among themselves to destroy our ancestral heritage and customary laws by selling lands to non-indigenes. This is not only treacherous but it is also inimical and a potential threat to our existence as a people.”

He noted that the trend was worsening by the day as the perpetrators of this hideous crime are now devising various means to achieve their aim, asserting that their ignorance of the fact that in Bonny Kingdom land is owned by families and consequently allotted to family members for development and are not to be sold to non-indigenes. It would be their undoing when the chips are down.

According to him, the warning had become imperative as the incessant cases of land grabbing by non-indigenes has become a source of concern in the area, stressing that the serial purchase of land by proxy, for instance, in the name of churches and other innocent looking organizations, was well beholden to the leadership of the community and would be addressed in due time.

The ABB has vowed to emancipate the kingdom and its satellite communities from this high profiled conspiracy by any means necessary, calling on members of the community to desist from such practices, maintaining that a situation where they, as indigenes, knew the consequences of their actions and the futility of such transactions and were still misleading their victims was uncalled, unjustifiable and wicked. 

In recent times, there have been a growing trend of indigenes of Bonny LGA secretly and illegally selling lands to non-indigenes against the tradition of the kingdom on ownership of land titles.

“Finally, ABB appeals to the Bonny Chiefs Council (BCC) and the title citizens of Bonny Kingdom to rise to the occasion and fight this new trend of sacrilegious activities in our Kingdom, in solidarity with our most revered Monarch, King (Dr) Edward William Dappa Pepple III, CON, JP, Perekule XI, Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, for the betterment of the Kingdom,” they declared

Areas such as Macaulay, New Road (now King Perekule Road), Willbros Road, WaterWell Road, Bagg Jumbo Community, Abalamabie, Oguede, Akiama, Workers Camp area, among others have been heavily impacted.

Meanwhile, an elder of one of the affected houses, who preferred anonymity, expressed dismay at the level of greed being perpetrated by members of the community, who willfully mislead their prey into parting with their hard earned money to purchase lands that will eventually be retrieved from them by the community.

“We all know what the tradition is regarding ownership of landed properties in Bonny Kingdom. But these young men will heartlessly mislead their victims to sell land to them knowing fully well that when questions are asked they themselves will run away and hide leaving their victims to their fate.”

“Let me join my voice to warn non-indigenes coming to Bonny to do business to beware of these our greedy brother and sisters. If you want land for your business or church go and meet the community leaders they will know what to do but if you go buy from these boys, you are on your own.”  

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that in Bonny LGA, lands are owned by families and allotted to family members for development, real estate or residential uses. These landed properties can only be leased to non-indigenes on a tenured arrangement with the land owners where necessary.