By Paul Olayemi, Sapele
A storm is gathering in Delta State over a contested piece of prime land formerly leased to the African Timber and Plywood Company (ATP) in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.
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Two prominent families — the Ogodo and Ebbah families — have accused the Delta State Government of allegedly attempting to illegally take over their ancestral land, a move they said flies in the face of multiple court rulings, including a Supreme Court judgement.
What began as a legitimate lease in 1902 has spiralled into a legal and political minefield, drawing in multinational interests, state power, and historical claims that date back to more than a century.
Speaking exclusively to Vanguard, Pa Achient Ogodo, a family elder and custodian of the land’s history, traced the roots of the dispute to 1902, when Chief Ogodo leased the land to Mikaiva, the original lessee.
The lease, he explained, was due to expire in 2001. Along the line, ATP took over the lease from Mikaiva, and following ATP’s liquidation in 1973, UAC acquired ATP’s assets and liabilities.
“UAC sold ATP to the Delta State Government,” he said, faulting the alleged action.
Ogodo expressed outrage at what he described as the state government’s failure to allegedly conduct due diligence before consummating the transaction. “If the Delta State Government had done even a little investigation, they would have discovered a Supreme Court judgement affirming that the land belongs to the Ogodo and Ebbah families,” he said.
Supreme Court judgement ignored
According to documents sighted by Vanguard, the families obtained a Supreme Court judgement, as well as a restraining order issued by Justice Breme on November 24, 2016, barring the Delta State Government, its Attorney-General, and other agents from entering or laying claim to the land.
“Is it possible for a state government — a lesser body — to nullify a Supreme Court judgement?” Ogodo asked rhetorically. “That is exactly what the Delta State Government is trying to do right now, and we will never accept it. They have no title to that land.”
The elder maintained that there is also a historical judgement nullifying all Certificates of Occupancy obtained by colonial authorities on the same land, further cementing the family’s alleged ownership claim.
The families have since engaged Festus Keyamo Chambers to challenge the government’s actions and assert their legal ownership.
Family land, not community land — Ebbah family
Also speaking, Engr. Bright Ebbah, a representative of the Ebbah family, emphasized that the ATP land is family land, not community property.
“Our forefathers leased this land to ATP. When the lease expired, it reverted back to the family — not the government, not UAC,” Ebbah said.
He revealed that the families had written to the state government through their lawyer, to which the government allegedly responded.
“But instead of engaging us afterward, they went to the media to publish that they had acquired the land. It is unacceptable.
“We are sending a clear message to the government: stay off our land. You have no business there. You have no title. We will fight this with every legal tool available,” Ogodo said.
Government yet to respond
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Delta State Government and Mr. Sunny Nwankego for their response to the allegations were unsuccessful.
Legal analysts, however, said the matter could set a landmark precedent in land ownership and state power dynamics in Delta State.
“This is not just about one parcel of land,” a senior legal practitioner told Vanguard. “It’s about whether a state government can brush aside Supreme Court judgements and dispossess citizens of ancestral property. If this stands, no private landowner is safe.”
A brewing legal and political showdown
With Supreme Court judgements, restraining orders, and allegations of intimidation on the table, this dispute is shaping up to be one of Delta State’s most explosive land cases in recent years.
For the Ogodo and Ebbah families, the message is clear: they will not surrender their ancestral land — not to a multinational, and certainly not to the government.
“The law is on our side,” Ogodo said firmly. “And we will not allow anyone — not even the government — to trample on it.”
The post Families differ with Delta govt over Sapele land appeared first on Vanguard News.
