In a recent legal proceeding, the Court of Appeal Asaba, Delta State, presiding over an appeal based on SUIT NO. 0/2/2024, rejected a motion for interlocutory injunction filed by counsel representing a faction of the Azagba Ogwashi-Uku community. The motion sought to prevent His Royal Majesty, Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, from removing structures on 500 hectares of land under his lawful custodianship—a custodianship confirmed by a prior court judgment issued by the Honourable Justice Diai, the current Chief Judge of Delta State accompanied by a certificate and warrant of possession issued over 10 years ago.
The Obi of Ogwashi-Uku was represented by prominent lawyer, Chike Onyemenam, SAN, while the factional group from Azagba Ogwashi-Uku, representing Emmanuel Adingupu, Paul Abuah and others was represented by K.O. Obamogie, SAN. The Court of Appeal justices advised Mr. Obamogie to proceed with addressing the main issues in the appeal rather than pursuing the injunction.
Earlier this year, the Obi in Council of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom began removing unauthorized structures housing kidnappers and criminal elements within this expansive land area, citing security concerns, blockage of infrastructure, deviation from the approved layout and ongoing illegal sales of the community land by certain Azagba Ogwashi-Uku members to land speculators. In a significant community empowerment initiative, the Obi and the Obi-in-Council since January 2024 have allocated plots to 2,000 Ogwashi-Uku community members under a fair “first come, first allocated” system. This program has enabled members to secure land for various beneficial purposes, including building schools, hospitals, and a state-of-the-art technology park designated to advance education in fields such as artificial intelligence and aerospace technology. The Palace has confirmed that a major overseas donor has already approved funding for this technology park, underscoring its importance to the kingdom’s future.
Speaking on the matter, the Palace Secretary, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, affirmed that the Palace remains steadfast in its mission to prevent further encroachment on Ogwashi-Uku ancestral lands by land speculators. According to Prince Emordi, the recent legal manoeuvres by certain Azagba Ogwashi-Uku members serve as a strategy to appease their buyers who, upon discovering they purchased unlawfully sold land, may now question the validity of their transactions. He described the ongoing litigation as an attempt to mislead these buyers and prolong the situation.
Prince Emordi also condemned a recent violent confrontation involving factional members of the Azagba Ogwashi-Uku community, who reportedly seriously injured community vigilante members while attempting to bring in bulldozers to the contested land area. Law enforcement authorities have confirmed that a manhunt is underway for the remaining suspects, with two individuals already arrested and charged with grievous assault and other related offenses.
