The Igba of Warri Kingdom in Delta State, Chief Rita Lori Ogbebor, has issued a 30-day ultimatum to Urhobo residents in Warri, demanding payment of outstanding rents dating back to 1928 or facing legal action.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Chief Ogbebor escalated the long-standing land dispute, asserting that legal documents established the Ogisi family’s ownership of Odion town—now part of modern-day Warri—since before the colonial era.
According to her, historical records indicate that individuals named Oghorogbo, along with his brother Eyekpimi, Oravo, and Onoriobe, were tenants granted possession of two plots of land in Odion by the Ogisi family, with an annual rent set at one pound.
However, she claims the tenants have failed to make payments since 1928, instead seeking to assert ownership of the land.
“The Odion/Ogisi family has exercised patience for nearly a century, but we can no longer tolerate the refusal to pay.
Today, we declare that the one pound that the Urhobos have refused to remit must now be paid. They should begin immediate payments,” Chief Ogbebor stated.
She also dismissed land acquisitions by the Urhobo people beyond what she described as the scope of a previous court ruling. “Regarding the lands they have acquired beyond the court ruling, those purchases are void,” she declared.
Despite the ultimatum, the family expressed willingness to reconcile with individuals who may have inadvertently acquired land under what they termed “false pretences” from the Urhobos. “We are open to discussions with those who mistakenly purchased land under misleading circumstances. They should not be afraid,” the chief’s spokesperson said.
Positioning the Odion/Ogisi family as fair and reasonable, Chief Ogbebor lamented what she saw as exploiting their goodwill.
“We want the world to know that we are good people, but our kindness has been taken for granted. We have been pressured into submission, with no say in our land,” she asserted.
