No Supreme Court Cedes Gelegele to Bini, We’ll Defend Our Heritage With Our Last Blood – Ozobo, IPDI

By Osaro Michael, Benin

A leading Niger Delta Advocacy, under the auspices of the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative (IPDI) has dismissed claims circulating in the public domain that the Supreme Court has ceded Gelegele community lands to the Benin Kingdom in Edo State, describing such assertions as false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to distort facts.

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National President, Comrade Ozobo Austin, the group said there is no subsisting Supreme Court judgment that grants ownership of the Gelegele community lands to Benin.

According to the organization, the legal matter being referenced by those making the claims involved two private individuals and concerned only a single plot of land, stressing that the judgment did not determine ownership of the entire Gelegele community or its ancestral lands.

IPDI maintained that portraying the court decision as one that transferred the entire Gelegele community to Benin amounts to misinformation capable of creating unnecessary tension among the people and misleading the public.

The group urged Nigerians, government institutions, and relevant stakeholders to disregard what it described as false narratives aimed at creating confusion over the ownership and historical identity of the Gelegele community.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no subsisting Supreme Court judgment that grants Benin ownership over Gelegele community lands. The matter cited concerns only two individuals and one plot of land, not the entire expanse of Gelegele community land,” the statement read.

IPDI further warned that any attempt to use what it described as false legal interpretations to annex Gelegele community lands would be firmly resisted by the people of the community and other stakeholders committed to protecting the area’s historical identity.

The organization reaffirmed that Gelegele remains an Ijaw community, insisting that no individual or group should attempt to rewrite its history or alter its identity through misinformation or alleged fraudulent territorial claims.

It also called on government authorities, security agencies, and other relevant institutions to remain vigilant and ensure that peace is maintained by preventing actions capable of escalating tensions over land ownership issues.

The group concluded by reiterating its commitment to defending what it described as the legitimate rights and heritage of the people of Gelegele, warning that any alleged attempt to annex the community would face strong opposition from its residents and supporters.