“Delta Court Sacks Former Minister Ashimedua Agbabu as Onishe of Ubulu Uno”
The Delta State Customary Court of Appeal sitting in Asaba has ruled to remove Ashimedua Agbabu, former Minister for State Agriculture under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, from his position as the Onishe of Ubulu Uno Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The legal dispute stemmed from a challenge by Mr. Andrew Nwanokwai and four others, who argued that the conferment of the Onishe title on Agbabu violated the native laws and customs of the Ubulu Uno Kingdom. According to these traditions, only the Umuokpa and Idumu Onishe families, both from Umuolo village in the Anioshe Quarters, have the right to hold the Onishe title, excluding all other families.
The plaintiffs, in their appeal against a 2022 ruling by the Customary Court in Ogwashi-Uku (suit No. ASACC/91/2020), sought a declaration that the Onishe title should only be conferred on a member of the Umuokpa or Idumu Onishe families. They also demanded a perpetual injunction preventing Agbabu from being recognized as the Onishe and from exercising any rights associated with the title.
In a judgment delivered by Justice G. N. Dele Okafor on Monday, the court granted nearly all the plaintiffs’ prayers, declaring that the Onishe title could not be conferred on Agbabu or anyone outside the designated families. The court further directed that the first defendant (the relevant authority) should install the fifth plaintiff, Mr. Onuwa Aniagwu, as the Onishe of Ubulu-Uno, or begin the process of selecting a new Onishe from the Umuokpa or Idumu-Onishe families.
The court also issued a perpetual injunction against both the first and second defendants, preventing them from recognizing Agbabu as the Onishe or allowing him to perform any duties associated with the title. Additionally, the court awarded a cost of N200,000 against the defendants.
This decision marks the culmination of a protracted legal battle over the traditional leadership of Ubulu Uno and reaffirms the community’s adherence to its customary laws.
