The Court of Appeal has affirmed the authority of the Warri Council of Chiefs over Warri South Local Government Area, dismissing an appeal filed by the Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh, His Royal Majesty Monbene III, over territorial and financial claims in the area.
The appellate court, sitting virtually, delivered a unanimous judgment on December 17, 2025, in Appeal No. CA/AS/154/2024, upholding the earlier decision of the lower court which rejected the claims of the Ogbe-Ijoh traditional ruler.
The case arose from assertions by the Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh that his traditional jurisdiction extended into Warri South Local Government Area and that he was entitled to receive royalties from the local government council. These claims were strongly contested by the Warri Council of Chiefs, which maintained that Warri South is not within the territorial or traditional authority of the Ogbe-Ijoh stool.
At the trial court, counsel to the Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Robinson Ariyo, argued that the claims were without legal foundation. The court agreed and ruled in favour of the Warri Council of Chiefs, a decision that led the Ama-Okosu to seek redress at the Court of Appeal.
In dismissing the appeal, the Court of Appeal upheld all the findings of the lower court and resolved every issue raised in favour of the Warri Council of Chiefs. The court held that the Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh has no jurisdictional authority, ownership rights, or financial entitlement in Warri South Local Government Area.
The judgment further warned that any continued claims, actions, or assertions by the Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh over Warri South would constitute contempt of court, as the ruling clearly settles the matter and affirms that no entitlement exists in favour of the Ogbe-Ijoh traditional stool.
This landmark decision reinforces the long-standing position on the traditional and territorial boundaries within Warri South Local Government Area.
