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The Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Delta State, Dr. Ifechukwude Anishi Okonjo II, has urged individuals circulating reports on the boundary dispute between Ogwashi-Uku and neighbouring Ibusa community to stop misleading the public over a recent ruling by a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba.
The monarch maintained that the people of Ogwashi-Uku would continue to defend their ancestral lands through all lawful means, insisting that the court’s ruling on a preliminary objection should not be presented as a substantive judgment determining the boundary between the two communities.
Obi Okonjo was reacting to a publication allegedly circulated by some individuals from Ibusa concerning the court’s recent decision in proceedings relating to the disputed boundary.
In a statement issued by the Palace Secretary, Prince Ifeakanackukwu Emordi, the monarch described the publication’s suggestion that the court had determined the boundary between the communities at the Ubu stream as a misleading interpretation of the proceedings.
According to him, the ruling addressed a preliminary objection and did not constitute a substantive judgment determining the boundary rights of Ogwashi-Uku and Ibusa.
He said those celebrating the court’s decision had failed to explain the distinction between a ruling on a preliminary objection and a final determination of disputed land rights.
The monarch expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the ruling, adding that the legal process concerning the dispute remained ongoing.
He called on those responsible for the publication to stop circulating what he described as “sensational headlines that misrepresented the nature and implications of the court proceedings.”
The traditional ruler also warned that no individual or group should interpret the ruling as permission to trespass on disputed lands, intimidate farmers, engage in unlawful land transactions, mobilise thugs or attempt to alter existing boundaries through force.
Reaffirming Ogwashi-Uku’s position, the palace maintained that the Oboshi River remained the boundary between the two communities and rejected what it described as attempts to use the procedural ruling to transfer Ogwashi-Uku communal lands to Ibusa.
The statement further argued that the specific lands and villages involved in historical litigation should not be confused with the wider boundary claims allegedly being advanced by some Ibusa interests.
“No amount of media propaganda can enlarge the geographical scope of an old court judgment or confer rights over lands that were never properly adjudicated upon in those proceedings,” the statement said.
Obi Okonjo called on security agencies to remain vigilant and prevent any party from exploiting interpretations of the ruling to provoke violence or disrupt peace in the affected communities.
He stressed that Ogwashi-Uku’s commitment to peaceful coexistence should not be mistaken for a willingness to surrender its ancestral inheritance.
The palace also appealed to sons and daughters of Ogwashi-Uku, both at home and in the diaspora, to remain calm, united and confident while the legal process continued.
It assured the people that the kingdom would pursue appropriate judicial remedies to protect its communal lands and legitimate interests.
The monarch urged the people of Ibusa to embrace peaceful coexistence, stressing that lasting peace between the neighbouring communities could not be achieved through disputed interpretations of court proceedings, expanded territorial claims or provocative public statements.
According to the statement, both communities would benefit from respect for the law, accurate reporting of judicial decisions and peaceful coexistence.
On the 40-year-old judgment reportedly being relied upon by parties from Ibusa, the palace said questions surrounding its execution and enforceability were already before the Court of Appeal.
It argued that the historical judgment could not be enforced in the manner allegedly being attempted, citing its age, the legal requirements for enforcement, the scope of the original proceedings and issues pending before the appellate court.
The palace maintained that the existence of an old judgment did not automatically entitle any party to enforce it decades later without complying with applicable legal procedures or to extend its geographical scope beyond the lands and parties covered by its terms.
Obi Okonjo insisted that ancestral lands should not become subjects of competing claims driven by public statements, adding that the courts remained the appropriate forum for resolving the outstanding legal questions.
“The judicial process is continuing. Those celebrating prematurely would do well to exercise patience and allow the appellate courts to determine the outstanding legal questions,” the statement added.
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