ESTEEMNEWS
BY RITA DANIEL
The Ogodo and Ebbah families of Sapele, Delta State, have leveled serious accusations against the Delta State Government, claiming it has unlawfully taken over a substantial tract of land once occupied by the now-defunct African Timber and Plywood (ATP) Company. The families insist that the land in question is their ancestral property.
In a press conference with journalists, representatives of the families demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Delta State Government from the disputed land, asserting that it is “family land leased to ATP and not government property.”
Pa Ancient Ogodo, the head of the Ogodo family, expressed deep frustration over the situation, revealing the historical context behind their claim. He explained that their ancestors leased the land previously known as Mciver—to a private company back in 1902, with the lease set to expire in 2001. “When the lease expired, instead of reverting to us, we found the state government and our tenant, UAC, seizing control of what rightfully belongs to us,” he lamented.
The family's narrative indicates that after the liquidation of Mciver, the lease was transferred to ATP and subsequently to UAC in 1973. In what the families described as a “criminal act,” UAC allegedly sold the property to the Delta State Government just five days before the lease officially expired. “Tell me,” Pa Ogodo challenged, “which tenant sells the property of his landlord? That transaction was fraudulent, and the government is well aware of it.”
Further complicating the matter, Pa Ogodo accused the state government of employing security operatives to intimidate the families, terming this an “abuse of power and gross disregard for the rule of law.” He argued that the government lacks any valid title to the land, referencing court rulings that have consistently reaffirmed the families’ ownership rights.
To fortify their legal stance, the Ogodo and Ebbah families have engaged the services of renowned lawyer Festus Keyamo (SAN) to contest what they describe as a “forceful takeover” by the state. Pa Ogodo highlighted a Supreme Court judgment, along with another ruling delivered by Justice Breme on November 24, 2016, which restrains the Delta State Government from encroaching on the disputed property.
“We have no business with the government,” Pa Ogodo asserted firmly. “We can conduct transactions with individuals or corporate bodies, but not with the government. A tenant cannot sell the property of his landlord—and that’s precisely what UAC and the Delta Government have done.”
Engr. Bright Ebbah, another representative of the families, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the land is “not community land but family property.” He noted that ownership of the land automatically reverted to the Ogodo and Ebbah families upon the expiration of the lease.
The families had previously communicated their concerns to the state government, which acknowledged receipt of their correspondence and promised a meeting after the general elections. “Instead of following through,” Engr. Ebbah lamented, “the government published a notice claiming to have acquired the land—a deceitful and disrespectful act.”
“Delta State has no legitimate claim over the ATP property,” he declared emphatically. The families are now calling on the governor to stop his Special Adviser on Security, Mr. Sunday Nwankego, warning that any further government interference will be met with legal resistance.
The Ogodo and Ebbah families assert concluded that they remain the rightful, court-recognized owners of the former ATP property in Sapele. They are resolute in their determination to defend their ancestral land against what they term illegal government actions.
