Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
The members of Umuebo town, Umuochi Utuchi in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State were on Monday thrown into Celebration as the Customary Court in Aboh declared that they are the rightful owners of Asioka Land.
The land which is situated at Mmilli- Uku Road, Umudike , Umuochi, has said to have sometimes been leased out to farmers, while in 2019, the people of Umudei Quarters in Umuochi Utuchi dragged owners of the said land; Umuebo people to the Court, Claiming Ownership of the land, also claiming the sum of five hundred thousand naira as damage.
The defendants who were eventually declared owners of the land told the Court through their lawyer that they allowed the Plaintiffs access to the Land to bury one of their deceased rulers and to farm before they started laying claims to it.
According to a defence witness, ( DW1) , His Highness, Nzekwe Isichie Richard, who is the Okpala Umuebo, the land belongs to Umuebo people but both the Plaintiffs and defendants were farming on the land , adding that it was the defendants that gave a space in the land to the Plaintiffs to bury their late King Ogwu
Delivering Judgement, the Chairman of the Court, Mr Anthony I. Odigwe and Supported by Mr, Patrick Ejeh, said that the people of Umuebo had proved their ownership of the land , adding that the Asioka Land was not an Onini Nze ( Royal Cemetery) as claimed by the Umuebo people.
The Court also explained that the people of Umuebo proved their title to the land by traditional history and evidence, and awarded a cost of N30,000 against the Plaintiffs and in favour of the defendants
The Plaintiffs are Chief Ikechukwu Asama , Chief Izuckukwu Enebili for themselves and as representatives of Umudie Quarters while the defendants are Francis Ogwuazor , Oyibo Ewnnor , Ifeanyi Ogwuazor, Emeke Nwosa and Ifeanyi Dibia for themselves and as representatives of Umuebo town.
