By Ismail Azeez
Panic and grief have enveloped the Emuhi community in the Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State following a violent attack linked to a lingering land dispute.
The assault has claimed the life of a 47-year-old man and left his two siblings battling for survival.
The deceased, identified as Okolo Sunday of Igor Quarters, Emuhi, was killed on April 16, 2026, when a group of armed men stormed the disputed land with guns and machetes.
Sunday was shot and died at the scene before he could be rushed to the hospital.
The land in question is the subject of a bitter ownership tussle between the Okolo Asia Mathew family and a local businessman, Enichiohia Monday.
Another sibling, 45-year-old Joseph Okolo, who resides at Borehole Junction in Ekpoma, sustained severe injuries during the daytime attack and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.
The violence escalated further at around 11:00 PM that same day when a third sibling, 43-year-old Patience Okolo Ibadine, was attacked at her residence in Edueki Quarters, Emuhi. She is currently fighting for her life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the State Specialist Hospital.
Her husband, Omozupia Ibadine, told journalists that four armed men, one of whom wore a mask, invaded their home demanding the whereabouts of Patience’s sister, Mary Okolo.
“They were asking about her location because she is not living in the town at the moment. Immediately we declined to give them the information, they looked at each other, and the masked man shot my wife. He threatened, ‘When we kill all of you, you will continue to go and sell that land in heaven,’ before they left. I held my wife, shouted for help, and she was rushed to a nearby hospital before being referred to the State Specialist Hospital,” Ibadine explained.
Information regarding further hits has forced another member of the family, Omonigho Okolo, to flee the town into hiding to avoid meeting the same fate as his brother.
The aged patriarch of the family, Okolo Asia Mathew, maintained that he is the rightful owner of the land and had already handed the documents over to his children.
He disclosed that the matter had previously been taken to the palace of the Enojie of Ekpoma, who pleaded with both parties to embrace peace, though the intervention yielded no positive outcome.
Fearing for the lives of Mary Okolo and his remaining children, the father has formally reported the case to the Police Divisional Headquarters in Ekpoma.
Community resident Agnes Ebhomienlen noted that the situation has sparked widespread fear in the area following rumors that the attackers are actively hunting down remaining members of the Okolo family.
“This land problem has been on for years, but nobody expected it to turn into this kind of killing. People are now scared because the family has been under pressure for a long time,” she stated.
Local police have assured the public that all necessary actions are being taken, promising that the perpetrators will be brought to book to face justice.