Delta community petitions Tinubu over Ogwashi-Uku demolitions and desecrated graves
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Residents and descendants of Ogbenti-Obi in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, have asked President Bola Tinubu to halt demolitions and excavation they say went beyond a court warrant of possession and disturbed ancestral graves.
Residents and descendants of Ogbenti-Obi in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, have written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt what they described as unlawful demolitions, forced displacements and the desecration of ancestral graves during the enforcement of a court process linked to the Ogwashi-Uku Royal Palace.
In a letter signed by Prince Pius Izedlunor, Prince PC Izedlunor and Prince Diokpa Sunday Nzekwue on September 12, 2026, the community asked the presidency to immediately halt further demolition, excavation and destruction of properties and burial grounds in Ogbenti-Obi pending an independent determination of the lawful scope of the court process.
The affected descendants alleged that persons acting for the Obahai/Okonjo family, while executing a judicial warrant of possession, moved outside the disputed palace grounds into private homes and family compounds, displacing residents. They said machinery manned by armed security and enforcers demolished private residences, roads and pathways, and erected barriers that prevent residents from accessing their properties.
The community complained that family burial grounds and ancestral graves, including those of past traditional rulers within and outside the palace grounds erected in 1909, had been disturbed and desecrated. The petition stressed that graves are sacred and must not be treated as collateral damage in a land dispute, warning that families risk losing homes, possessions and their physical connection to ancestors.
The letter also alleged intimidation and aggressive conduct by enforcers, who the descendants said are shielded by influential personalities. It requested an independent federal investigation, with the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Human Rights Commission, to establish the exact scope of the judgment and writ, which properties are covered, whether operations exceeded that scope and who is responsible.
The descendants further asked the presidency to conduct an immediate inventory of ancestral graves and protect all known burial grounds until their status is established, to investigate whether human remains were displaced or exposed, and to provide civil protection so residents can reach their homes. They also urged the presidency and the National Emergency Management Agency to carry out a full damage and humanitarian assessment of displaced families and destroyed homes.