Ogwashi-Uku Palace Debunks “Murder, Kidnapping, Conviction” Claims As Recycled Falsehoods; Defends Massive Land Recovery Projects For Community Development

Ogwashi-Uku Palace Debunks “Murder, Kidnapping, Conviction” Claims As Recycled Falsehoods; Defends Massive Land Recovery Projects For Community Development

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The Palace of His Majesty Obi (Dr) Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo II has strongly dismissed renewed allegations of murder, kidnapping, criminal conviction, and illegal dealings against the revered monarch, describing the accusations as “recycled falsehoods” previously brought before the Delta State Government’s Commission of Inquiry and comprehensively discredited.

A detailed statement issued by the Palace Communications Directorate, added that the allegations currently circulating online are part of a coordinated campaign allegedly sponsored by individuals who benefitted from irregular and unlawful communal land transactions in Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom over many years.

According to the Palace, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku who is a doctorate degree holder in Economics and Finance from the University of Edinburgh and the Paris Business School is working to ensure that the Ogwashi-Uku community benefits from its natural resources. The Obi of Ogwashi-Uku is the younger brother to the WTO Director General and former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.  Current attacks and a smear campaign intensified following the Kingdom’s aggressive legal recovery of vast communal lands previously encroached upon by speculators and private interests after the recovery of over 2800 hectares of illegally sold land and recovered through the courts. The Obi of Ogwashi-Uku has said he will never be deterred by the smear campaign or name calling and owe nobody any apology for the work he is doing which is for the benefit of the Ogwashi-Uku community in Delta state that he is responsible for.

The statement noted that the allegations are neither new nor credible, stressing that substantially similar claims were presented before the Delta State Commission of Inquiry approximately two years ago and were “resoundingly refuted and rubbished” during proceedings.

The statement added that the continued circulation of such claims after they had already been challenged and discredited demonstrates “a desperate attempt to malign the reputation of the traditional institution and weaken ongoing land recovery efforts aimed at protecting communal assets.”

The Palace also dismissed allegations by social media activist, Victor Ojei (Wong Box) claiming that communal lands were sold to Chinese nationals or foreign interests.

The Palace confirmed that legal action had already been initiated against Ojei over alleged cyberstalking, false publications, and character assassination, adding that the matter is now before the courts.

The statement further highlighted several landmark court victories obtained by the Palace in relation to communal land recovery efforts.

It referenced Suit No. O/5/2006, under which approximately 1,349 hectares of land allegedly earmarked by the late Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo, for the proposed Anioma University of Science and Technology, were recovered following the execution of a Warrant of Possession in September 2025.

The Palace also cited Suit No. O/50/2021, in which the High Court reportedly reaffirmed the Obi’s overlordship over approximately 900 hectares of land situated behind the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, leading to the recovery of possession from alleged encroachers.

According to the statement, these judicial victories confirm the longstanding traditional and legal position that the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku remains the lawful custodian and trustee of communal lands held in trust for the people of the Kingdom.

The Palace further denied allegations that the monarch unlawfully ceded communal land to politically exposed persons or top government officials.

It pointed to Suit No. O/163/2025 currently before the courts, in which the Obi is reportedly challenging the alleged unauthorized transfer of communal lands connected to interests associated with a senior government figure.

“It is irrational for anyone to allege that the Obi sold communal land to an individual whom he is actively suing in court in order to recover the same land for the community,” the statement noted.

The Palace maintained that the land recovery initiative is not targeted at ordinary farmers or vulnerable indigenes, but rather at reclaiming ancestral lands allegedly appropriated through unlawful or irregular transactions over decades.

It stated that recovered lands are intended for hospitals, schools, agricultural projects, industrial development, and other long-term public infrastructure initiatives for the benefit of future generations.

The Palace further claimed that nearly 2,000 Ogwashi-Uku indigenes have already benefitted from free land allocations under the present administration, describing the initiative as unprecedented in the history of the Kingdom.

Reaffirming confidence in the judiciary and the rule of law, the Palace declared that it would not be intimidated by “blackmail, misinformation, sponsored propaganda, or coordinated smear campaigns.”

It called on members of the public and indigenes of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom to disregard what it described as malicious attempts to undermine the traditional institution and frustrate ongoing reforms aimed at protecting communal heritage and ensuring sustainable development across the Kingdom.