…Urges Respect For Judicial Process
The Obodogwugwu Quarters of Okpanam Kingdom in Oshimli North Local Government Area of Delta State, has legal action to protect their ancestral land following a proposed boundary delineation exercise involving Ugbolu Settlement and Okpanam Kingdom.
According to their lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in order to safeguard what they regard as their ancestral communal rights and to ensure that all issues arising from the proposed exercise are determined strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law, concerned citizens of Obodogwugwu Quarters have now commenced an action in Suit No. AKU/47/2026, before the High Court of Delta State against the relevant parties, through their Solicitors.
The suit, according to Bar Ejiofor, seeks, among other reliefs, judicial pronouncements concerning the parties’ respective rights and the legality of the proposed boundary delineation exercise.
He pointed out that the Claimants maintain in their pleadings that the land known as Ani Uzo-Olu forms part of the ancestral communal estate of Obodogwugwu Quarters and that the proposed delineation is being pursued despite their objection and notwithstanding their contention that no historical or customary boundary exists between Ugbolu Settlement and Obodogwugwu Quarters, adding that these are issues now properly submitted for judicial determination, and the Court alone will decide them after considering the evidence and applicable law.
In his words “Our decision to approach the Court is neither an act of hostility nor an attempt to frustrate lawful governance. Rather, it reflects our unwavering confidence in the Judiciary as the constitutional institution entrusted with the peaceful resolution of disputes”
The concerned citizens through their lawyer, therefore respectfully call upon the Government of Delta State, all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and every public officer connected with the proposed exercise to refrain from taking any further administrative or physical steps capable of altering the existing situation pending the determination of the suit now before the Court.
The principle is well established that where a dispute has become the subject of pending judicial proceedings, every responsible public authority should exercise restraint and avoid actions capable of rendering the proceedings nugatory or presenting the Court with a fait accompli. Respect for the judicial process is indispensable to constitutional governance and the maintenance of public confidence in the administration of justice, he said.
They through their lawyer equally appeal to the people of Obodogwugwu Quarters, the people of Okpanam Kingdom, the inhabitants of Ugbolu Settlement, and members of the general public to remain peaceful and law-abiding and to refrain from any act capable of escalating tensions. No disagreement over land or boundary is worth the breakdown of peace or the loss of human life.
We also urge traditional institutions, community leaders, youth bodies, women’s groups, and all stakeholders to support peaceful coexistence while allowing the Court to discharge its constitutional responsibility without interference, intimidation, or external pressure.
The people of Obodogwugwu Quarters remain committed to the rule of law. We have chosen the path of the Constitution over confrontation, the authority of the Courts over self-help, and justice over conflict, they maintained.
Accordingly, the group respectfully urged the Delta State Government and all the Defendants in the pending proceedings to preserve the existing state of affairs and allow the Court to determine the issues placed before it in accordance with the law.
