A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has ordered Prophet Tamarauebi Elisha Owan and members of the Greatgod Holy Tabernacle to rebuild a traditional Egbesu shrine they allegedly destroyed in Ojobo Community, while awarding a total of ₦205 million in damages and costs to the affected worshippers.
The court held that the respondents violated the constitutional rights of members of the Osuopele Benesede Opu-Oru Temple through the unlawful destruction of their place of worship and sustained acts of harassment and intimidation.
In Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/4/2025, His Lordship, Hon. Justice H.A. Nganjiwa, in a judgment delivered on June 29, 2026, declared that the respondents’ actions were discriminatory, unconstitutional and inconsistent with the provisions of Sections 10 and 38 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantee freedom of religion and worship.
The suit arose from an incident on December 20, 2024, when Prophet Owan, accompanied by members of his church, allegedly invaded the Osuopele Benesede Opu-Oru Temple in Ojobo under the guise of conducting a spiritual exercise against evil spirits.
During the invasion, the worship centre and several traditional artefacts of historical and cultural significance were reportedly destroyed.
Following the incident, the matter was reported to the Izon Cultural Heritage Council (ICHC) and the leadership of the Woyin Temple in Yenagoa, prompting an investigation and the institution of legal proceedings.
In the judgment, Justice Nganjiwa declared that the harassment and intimidation of the applicant and worshippers of the Osuopele Benesede Opu-Oru Temple were discriminatory, unconstitutional, wrongful and a violation of their constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of religion.
The court restrained Prophet Owan and the other respondents from further harassment or intimidation of the applicant and worshippers of the temple, directing them to remain at least 10 kilometres away from the traditional worshippers.
The court also ordered the respondents to rebuild the shrine destroyed during the December 20, 2024 incident.
As part of the reliefs granted, the court awarded ₦100 million as exemplary damages for the unlawful destruction of the temple and another ₦100 million as general damages for the humiliation, ridicule and violation of the applicants’ fundamental rights.
The court further awarded ₦5 million as the cost of filing the suit and directed the respondents to publish a public apology in two national daily newspapers circulating across Nigeria.
Reacting to the judgment, spokesperson of the ICHC, Odede Precious, described the ruling as a landmark victory for traditional religion practitioners and a reaffirmation of their constitutional rights.
He urged the prophet and members of his church to comply fully with the court’s orders, while warning against the intimidation or persecution of adherents of traditional religion under any guise.
The judgment is expected to serve as a significant judicial affirmation of the constitutional right to freedom of religion and the protection of indigenous places of worship in Nigeria.One point to verify before publication: the suit number in your message is written as FHV/WR/CS/4/2025, while Federal High Court suit numbers are commonly formatted as FHC/WR/CS/4/2025. Use the exact format shown on the court documents to avoid an error in print.
