The Delta State Government has urged residents of Ibusa and Ogwashi-Uku to avoid actions that could escalate tensions following fresh protests over a disputed boundary.
The appeal came on Monday when members of the Ibusa community marched to Government House in Asaba, alleging that Ogwashi-Uku was encroaching on land they insist legally belongs to them.
Receiving the protesters, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Prince Johnson Erijo, said the administration was already aware of the dispute before the demonstration.
He assured the crowd that the government had begun reviewing the matter and would follow due process in addressing it.
Erijo praised the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully and emphasized that the state would not allow the situation to deteriorate.
According to him, government’s responsibility is to prevent disorder while carefully examining the issues raised by both communities.
He added that any decision taken would aim to promote fairness and lasting stability.
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The demonstrators carried placards insisting that previous court rulings had settled the ownership of the contested land.
Some of the inscriptions referenced a Supreme Court judgment, while others claimed that Admiralty University is situated within Ibusa territory.
Speaking for the community, Barrister Peter Lotobi outlined what he described as the legal history of the dispute.
He said the matter was first decided at the High Court, later affirmed by the Court of Appeal in 1982, and ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in 1985.
Lotobi maintained that Ibusa had respected the judicial process and restrained its youths despite ongoing disagreements.
He called on the state government to ensure that existing court judgments are enforced to prevent further tension.
The disagreement between the two neighbouring communities has resurfaced periodically over the years, with each side holding firm to its claims.
For now, the state government says it is working through the issues while urging both communities to keep the peace.
