The Ogbe-Ozoma people of Okpanam, in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Minister of Defence over what they describe as the unlawful deployment of police and military personnel to attack and invade their ancestral land.
In separate petitions signed by Barr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to the community ,addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd.), titled:“Violent and Bloody Invasion of the Ancestral Land of Ogbe-Ozoma in Okpanam Community, Oshimili North LGA, Delta State, by Chief Chinedu Okeke (Alias ‘Ekwe-Ogidi’), Flagrantly Aided by Over Forty (40) Armed Policemen and Soldiers, and the Wanton Destruction of Properties Valued at Over One Billion Naira , Request for Urgent and Decisive Intervention of the Honourable Minister of Defence,”the community alleged persistent trespass, aggression, and unlawful interference with their land by Chief Chinedu Okeke (“Ekwe-Ogidi”), allegedly supported by collaborators, including some members of the Issele-Azagba community.
The petitioners stated that these repeated incursions compelled them to file two separate suits currently pending before competent courts in Delta State: Suit No. HCI/23/2021 at the High Court of Issele-Ukwu/Onicha-Ugbo Judicial Division, and Suit No. AKW/118/2025 at the High Court of Akwukwu-Igbo Judicial Division.
They noted that Chief Okeke and his company, Ekwe-Ogidi Integrated Resources Limited, are defendants in the latter suit and are duly represented by a senior counsel.
According to the petitions, on 11 December 2025, the presiding judge of the High Court of Akwukwu-Igbo, Hon. Justice K. O. Okpu, expressly warned all parties in open court to maintain peace and refrain from any acts capable of undermining the authority of the court.
However, the community alleges that later that same day, in what they describe as a brazen display of impunity, Chief Okeke led a violent invasion of the disputed land.
They claim the operation was executed with the backing of over forty heavily armed policemen and soldiers, resulting in the destruction of structures valued at more than ₦1,000,000,000 (One Billion Naira).
In a separate statement titled
“Ogbe-Ozoma Community Petitions IGP and Minister of Defence Over Bloody, State-Aided Invasion of Their Ancestral Land by Chief Chinedu Okeke (Alias ‘Ekwe-Ogidi’)”,the community described the invasion as a violent, bloody, and state-aided assault, allegedly carried out with a truckload of security operatives.
The petition, signed by their solicitor, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq., KSC, said that the operation was carried out in flagrant violation of judicial orders and amounted to a “chilling orchestration of impunity.” The community stated that the invasion occurred on the same day Suit No. AKW/118/2025 was called for hearing, and immediately after the court’s warning to maintain peace.
They further allege that video evidence attached to the petition shows uniformed officers brandishing weapons, issuing tactical commands, and providing security cover as the properties were demolished.
The community described the incident as a reckless violation of the Inspector-General’s directives prohibiting police involvement in land disputes a gross abuse of state security apparatus for private purposes a contemptuous affront to judicial authority; and a dangerous precedent capable of provoking communal unrest.
They also expressed disbelief that such a large deployment of armed personnel could be mobilised for the private interests of one individual, especially at a time when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the withdrawal of police operatives from VIPs nationwide.
The Ogbe-Ozoma community is therefore calling for an immediate, full-scale investigation to identify all officers involved and determine the authority under which they acted,firm disciplinary and criminal sanctions against any police or military personnel found complicit;restoration of law and order on the disputed land; and adequate security protection for the community, which says it has deliberately refrained from reprisals to avoid a breach of peace.
Reaffirming their commitment to peace, civility, and due process, the community stated that they cannot remain helpless in the face of what they describe as “weaponised impunity carried out under the shield of state uniforms.”
They urged the Inspector-General of Police, the Minister of Defence, and all relevant authorities to act swiftly not only to protect lives and property but also to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system and restore public confidence in the nation’s security institutions.
