Delta Boundary Dispute Deepens As Ogwashi-Uku Denies Ibusa’s Supreme Court Verdict Claim
Fresh Tensions Over Boundary Dispute
TENSIONS have resurfaced between the communities of Ogwashi-Uku and Ibusa in Delta State following allegations that Ibusa leaders are misrepresenting the status of a Supreme Court judgment relating to a long-running boundary dispute.
Leaders of Ogwashi-Uku accused their neighbours of misleading the public by claiming that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had already delivered a verdict affirming Ibusa’s ownership of the disputed land.
The controversy intensified after members of the Ibusa community staged a protest at the Delta State Government House, Asaba, demanding that the state government enforce what they described as existing court rulings in their favour.
Placards carried by protesters included inscriptions such as “We have Supreme Court verdict on the land” and “Implement Supreme Court judgment.” Demonstrators also accused Ogwashi-Uku of encroaching on what they described as Ibusa’s ancestral territory.
Ogwashi-Uku Rejects Supreme Court Claim
Responding to the protest, the Palace Secretary to the Obi-in-Council of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, dismissed the claims as inaccurate and legally untenable.
In a statement, Emordi insisted that no subsisting judgment exists from the Supreme Court determining the boundary dispute between the two communities.
According to him, the matter is still before the Delta State High Court in Asaba, where both parties are currently contesting ownership of the disputed land.
“The Ibusa community has joined issues in that suit. Both parties are before the court and the matter is actively being litigated. We await the court’s determination,” Emordi said.
He argued that if the Supreme Court had truly issued a final verdict, there would be no ongoing litigation at the High Court.
“It is therefore deeply misleading and legally irresponsible to claim that there exists a subsisting Supreme Court judgment governing the present dispute,” he added.
Boundary Claims and Historical Disagreements
Providing the Ogwashi-Uku position, Emordi stated that the historically recognised boundary between the two communities is River Oboshi, which he said also serves as the administrative boundary between Aniocha South Local Government Area and Oshimili North Local Government Area.
He further alleged that new survey documents had recently surfaced in attempts to lay claim to land that had never been litigated or awarded to Ibusa.
According to him, such actions were aimed at escalating tensions and creating artificial disputes between the neighbouring communities.
“These actions are clearly designed to manufacture artificial disputes and escalate tensions. Ogwashi-Uku will not be intimidated by forged instruments or media theatrics,” Emordi said.
He also accused some elements from Ibusa of alleged encroachment into Ogwashi-Uku land and claimed that past confrontations had resulted in fatalities.
Despite the accusations, he said Ogwashi-Uku had chosen to pursue legal channels rather than resort to violence.
Government Calls for Calm
The dispute has also drawn attention to the controversial siting of Admiralty University of Nigeria, which Emordi said is currently the subject of litigation at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He warned against premature public claims on the matter while the court is still reviewing the case.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has appealed for restraint from both communities.
The Chief of Staff at Government House, Prince Johnson Erijo, urged residents of Ogwashi-Uku and Ibusa to maintain peace while the judicial process determines the rightful ownership of the disputed land.
Observers say the outcome of the ongoing court proceedings could prove decisive in resolving one of the most sensitive inter-community boundary disputes in the region.
