Esther Aimhekagbon, a 60-year-old widow, has lodged accusations against Uzama Osaretin-Alexander, alleging that he transformed her property into a burial ground.

Aimhekagbon presented her claims before the Edo State Private Properties Protection Committee, chaired by retired Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga, on Thursday.

According to Aimhekagbon, she acquired the land using her late husband’s pension funds, only to discover that Osaretin-Alexander had begun burying individuals on the premises without her consent.”

“I bought my land measuring 50/100 in Egor Community in 2001 only to be alerted by a neighbour that a grave was being dug in the land few years after. Later in the evening, I was there and witnessed as the respondent brought in a corpse and buried it on the land.

“This happened in 2016, making it two corpses that the respondent had buried on the land. He had earlier buried a woman. I learnt this latest one was the daughter of that woman,” Ms Aimhekagbon said.

She said she knew the respondent “very well that he cannot deny it.”

The widow pleaded with the committee to help her recover the land, which, she said, was bought with her late husband’s death benefit paid to her children by NITEL.

Responding, Mr Osaretin-Alexander denied the allegation of having buried corpses in the petitioner’s land. He said he had nothing to do with the land and denied meeting Ms Aimhekagbon.

The committee had directed an investigative police team to visit the land to verify the petitioner’s claim.

Meanwhile, the petitioner further said her vendor, Reuben Ogiegor, died shortly after transferring the land to her but said that her witnesses were alive.

The case was adjourned until July 8.