A land ownership dispute has broken out in Oshimili North Local Council of Delta State, pitting the Ogbe-Ozoma Community of Okpanam against neighbouringIssele-Azagba over a property acquired by the Cubana Group.
At a press briefing in Asaba yesterday, counsel to Ogbe-Ozoma, Chief IfeanyiEjiofor, dismissed claims circulating in a viral video alleging that the community unlawfully sold land belonging to Issele-Azagba.
Ejiofor maintained that the property was lawfully sold to Cubana Group in 2019 and that the title was properly transferred in line with applicable laws.
He described assertions linking the land to a consent judgment in favour of Issele-Azagba as “mischievous,” warning that the narrative being promoted online amounted to misrepresentation intended to inflame public opinion.
“The land upon which Cubana Group is currently undertaking development forms part of the ancestral inheritance of the Ogbe-Ozoma Community. It has never been the subject of any dispute or litigation,” he said.
He added that the briefing became necessary due to the rapid spread of what he termed unverified and misleading claims on social media, noting that his firm had represented the community for over five years and was fully conversant with the legal history of the land.
Ejiofor insisted that the property is free from encumbrance, lien or adverse claim, and warned that attempts to link it to unrelated litigation were defamatory and capable of causing confusion.
Spokesperson for Ogbe-Ozoma, Felix Okafor, also denied the existence of any legitimate land dispute between Okpanam and Issele-Azagba. He argued that Issele-Azagba historically occupied the area only as tenant farmers.
According to him, the ancestors of Okpanam granted Issele-Azagba settlement rights strictly for agricultural purposes.
However, counsel to the Issele-Azagba community, Larry Oliseh, countered the claim, insisting that the parcel currently under development falls within a consent judgment already entered in favour of his clients.
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