Family Faces Hardship After Alleged Illegal Land Seizure in Aniocha North, Delta 

Governor of Delta State is Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori

The family of Late Gabriel Sunday Igwenwanne of Umuojeagu quarters, Ikem Village, Issele Azagba, Aniocha North LGA of Delta State has petitioned the Delta State Government appealing to the Authorities to reconsider the illegal, unlawful acquisition and transfer of their forefather’s family land.

The family is raising the alarm, that some alleged land grabbers in the State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning have capitalised on the acquisition of part of their family land for public use, to transfer the land to private developers. 

According to Igwenwanne family members, the illegal acquisition of over 7.8 hectares of land which rightfully belong to their family has rendered them unproductive as they can neither farm nor make good use of their cash crops which have been the source of their livelihood over the years. 

The family, who wrote through their lawyer, L. A Obiora and Co, Legal Practitioners, Solicitors and Property Consultants to the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Asaba, Delta State, dated 1st, September and 2025, warned that, if their request is not addressed, they may have no choice but to take legal action to rectify the situation. 

According to the letter, the illegal acquisition of the land located at Olinnunu along Issele-Benin Expressway, Issele Azagba, Aniocha North LGA of Delta State, part of which form part of Federal Government and State Estates by Custom/ Army checkpoint. 

Showing evidence of authentic Survey Plan, the Igwenwanne family lamented that their family will suffer untold hardship, in that, the expanse of land subject of the acquisition is the only land the family has for farming and sustenance. 

The family recalled that, the State has equally overlooked a request made by Igwenwanne family during one of the meetings, whereby they appealed that, part of the family land be released for family’s use for farming and habitation. 

The petitioned explained that Igwenwanne’s family has relied on this land for generation and it’s loss is severely impacting negatively on their ability to sustain themselves through farming, particularly as their crops were destroyed. 

“Moreover, it has come to our client’s attention that substantial parts of our client’s land purportedly acquired has been unjustly allocated to private entities such as Paulos Home Limited and Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Cooperative under the guise of public purpose. This is not only disheartening but raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of those transactions. We find it perplexing that the government would sanction the sale of our client’s only land, especially when it contravenes the principle of public use, yet their demand that, part of their land be released for family use was ignored”, the the letter stated. 

“Currently, our client’s family is left without any land to farm this season and they continually encounter individuals claiming to have purchased their land from the government. This situation is untenable and distressing for our client’s family”. 

The Igwenwanne family is therefore, requesting for the release of a portion of their land, totally measuring 7.8 hectares to allow them sustain their agricultural practices and preserve their family heritage.