Community stakeholders in Ogwashi Uku, Delta State, have rallied in support of their monarch, His Royal Majesty Obi Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo II, dismissing allegations made in an online video by an unidentified woman who accused him of bulldozing crops on farmland in the area.

The video, which surfaced over the weekend, featured a woman claiming the monarch ordered the destruction of her farm and others. The claims sparked reactions from leaders and residents of the kingdom, who described them as false and misleading.

Reacting to the video, the acting Omu of Ogwashi Uku Kingdom, Her Royal Majesty Chief Edith Rafua, urged the people to ignore what she called a “campaign of calumny” and to support the monarch’s efforts to protect and develop the community.

After visiting the farmland in question, located behind Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi Uku, the Omu explained that the land had been the subject of a long-running legal battle between the community and estate developers. She noted that the monarch had gone to court in 2021 to reclaim the land, which had been fraudulently mortgaged by individuals without legal authority.

“The court ruled in favour of the Obi, granting him a Certificate of Warrant of Possession,” the Omu said. “The clearing of pathways on the land followed proper legal procedures, and no crops were destroyed, as confirmed by several farmers in the area.”

Chief Rafua criticised the anonymous nature of the video, questioning the credibility of the allegations. She stressed that if anyone had genuinely suffered a loss, they should come forward and make a formal report to the palace or to her as Omu, rather than “hiding behind a camera with ulterior motives.”

She commended Obi Okonjo II, younger brother of World Trade Organisation Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for his development projects, including the construction of a mother and child clinic, provision of transformers and boreholes, and awarding of scholarships to local students.

Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, Secretary of the Obi-in-Council, also appealed for residents’ collective support, emphasising that the monarch’s land reclamation efforts were aimed at securing the future of Ogwashi Uku’s younger generations.

“If not for His Majesty’s intervention, much of our ancestral land would have been lost forever to land grabbers. The court process was transparent, and all relevant authorities were duly informed,” Emordi said.

He urged the public to appreciate the king’s leadership rather than be swayed by anonymous and unverified claims intended to tarnish his reputation.