IGWO Community Wants Chinese Company’s R of O Cancelled Over Land Dispute
….Says land was illegally acquired, causing community tension
By Roseline Okafor, Nasarawa.
The Igwo community elites in the Agwada Administrative Area Council of Nasarawa State have appealed to the Nasarawa State Government to retrieve the Right of Occupancy (R of O) that was issued to a Chinese mining company, Black Gem New Energy Limited, without the consent of the community.
The community claims that vast portions of their ancestral land, over 3,000 hectares, rich in mineral deposits, were sold secretly by some individuals in collusion with the Chinese company.
The community was not informed or consulted about the sale, which has caused unrest and tension, including court cases and police harassment within the community.
The community elders argue that the land is their heritage and should not be sold behind their backs, urging the government to intervene for peace and unity in the area.
The Nasarawa State Government has acknowledged the application for the Right of Occupancy but has been called upon to stop the deal with the Chinese company to prevent violence and maintain community peace.
Mr. Oseshi Bitrus, Chairman of Igwo community elites, made the appeal in response to the sale of community land to a Chinese man by one individual.
The Igwo community, comprising Agbadu, Agaza, and Egbika, discovered that 3,719.687 hectares (78 hectares) of their land had been sold to Black Gem New Energy Limited, a Chinese mining company.
Reacting to the matter, Mr. Oseshi Bitrus sent a distress message to the Nasarawa State Government, requesting the retrieval or cancellation of the R of O and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issued to the Chinese company, which he claimed acquired the land illegally.
“We need our leaders to assist us out of this problem, because a Chinese man cannot come from China and acquire our land illegally even with an R of O,” he stated.
The community leader explained that their investigation revealed the state government’s involvement in signing the R of O.
“when we saw the R of O we discovered that it is the state government that signed it and gave to the Chinese man, the person that sold the land is from our community. He single handedly sold the land without the knowledge of the community”.
The community leader further stated that the individual who sold the land, a community member, admitted to the allegation but has since gone into hiding.
“For the sake of peace and unity, the government should help us cancel the R of O,” Mr. Oseshi emphasized.
Mr. Mike John Joseph, Secretary of Agwada community, accused Emmanuel Bitrus Omale, a Community Liaison Officer (CLO), of sabotaging the community’s efforts by selling a large portion of land to a Chinese mining company, which is now claiming ownership.
“After discovering a beacon on the land, we found that the number on the beacon matched the number on the Right of Occupancy (R of O), and the company name was on the beacon. We questioned him and reported him to our traditional rulers for clarity”.
“We felt it was unacceptable for someone to claim to have acquired land without the community’s consent; we allowed him to invest in our community, not seize our land.”
According to him, the community prefers to channel their grievances to the appropriate authority rather than taking the law into their own hands. Otherwise, they could have organized youths to demolish the ongoing work on their land.
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Environment visited the community in January 2025 to investigate the dispute.
The committee assured the community of fairness and justice in the investigation. The committee’s chairman, Hon. Mohammed Adamu Omadefu, urged the community to maintain peace and refrain from any acts that could cause disunity.
