Asari Dokubo Calls for Calm as Court Ends Century-Old Land Dispute in Rivers community
community News
Port Harcourt, Rivers – A Rivers State High Court has brought finality to a decades-long land ownership dispute between the Usokun and Obuama communities in Degema Local Government Area, dismissing a fresh suit by Usokun on the principle of res judicata.
Justice David Gbasam, presiding over the matter, struck out Suit No. DHC/76/CS/2020 filed by the Usokun Community on May 6, 2020.
The court ruled that the issue of ownership of the disputed Obupiri land had already been conclusively determined in favour of Obuama Community in an earlier judgment delivered in 1938 (Suit No. 164/38).
The judge held that the 2020 action amounted to an abuse of the judicial process, as the matter had been settled by competent courts dating back nearly a century.
Counsel to Obuama Community, S.V. Harry, told the court he would not press for costs despite the outcome. The court made no order as to costs.
Reacting to the verdict, King Mujahid Asari Dokubo, Dabaye Amakiri I and Amanyanabo of Torusarama Piri and Elem Kalabari, described the ruling as “a major relief” and called on all parties to respect the court’s decision.
“We are very happy. It is a great relief. We believe this act of provocation will stop for some time. We know they are likely to appeal, and we are fully prepared for that,” the monarch said.
King Asari, who maintains strong ties to Obuama, stressed that his community remains committed to peaceful coexistence but would not surrender its ancestral rights.
“We have always been magnanimous in victory. If they want peace, we are ready for peace. But we cannot surrender our ancestral rights in the name of peace,” he added.
He recalled that the dispute generated multiple court cases since 1923, with further actions in 1925, 1932, 1935, 1938, and the latest in 2020. Successive judgments, he noted, have consistently affirmed Obuama’s ownership.
The traditional ruler also highlighted instances of goodwill, including Obuama’s intervention for leniency in a criminal matter involving members of the opposing community.
The Obupiri land dispute has deep historical roots in the Kalabari region of the Niger Delta, where land and boundary issues frequently intersect with cultural identity, fishing rights, and economic interests. Such conflicts have occasionally escalated into security challenges in the past.
Legal observers say the dismissal on res judicata grounds strengthens Obuama’s position, though the matter could still head to the Court of Appeal if Usokun decides to challenge it. No immediate reaction was available from the Usokun Community.
Residents in Degema and surrounding Kalabari areas have welcomed the judgment, hoping it will allow both communities to shift focus toward socio-economic development and collaborative initiatives rather than endless litigation.
King Asari’s intervention is seen as a stabilizing force, reflecting his evolution from Niger Delta activist to a traditional authority committed to lawful resolution of disputes and community harmony in Rivers State.
