Dokubo-Asari Rejects ‘Army of Occupation’ Claim, Demands Proof of Land Grabbing

Amanyanabo Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari has rejected claims that Royal Fouche Security Services operates as an "army of occupation" and engages in land grabbing. The monarch dismissed the allegations as "sad, vexatious and provocative," maintaining that he was not involved in the long-standing land dispute between neighboring communities.

Dokubo-Asari stated that the dispute predates his involvement and that he has never claimed ownership of the land in question. The recent controversy began in Obuama in 2020, when the community implemented a five-year development plan, including the allocation of community land for development. Some land along a major road connecting Tema, Okpo, Obuama, Degema, and Abonema was disputed by the people of Usokun, who took the matter to court.

However, the court did not issue an injunction preventing Obuama from proceeding with the development. Dokubo-Asari traced the dispute to a 1938 Native Court judgment in favor of Obuama, which was not overturned. He questioned why he is being portrayed as the principal actor in the dispute when he was not a party to the court cases.

When challenged to identify any land allegedly seized by Royal Fouche, the monarch asked, "Occupation of what?" He emphasized that the security company had provided security services on land and waterways across communities in four local government areas for about four years and that its operations had contributed to reducing kidnapping and armed robbery in the region.