Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Edo State Government has launched a formal investigation into a contested mini-estate in Benin City, where a decades-old ownership tangle involving the late Professor Ambrose Alli, the first civilian governor of the defunct Bendel State, has left the property in legal limbo. The probe, initiated by the Edo State Public Property Protection Committee (ESPPC) and confirmed on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, comes amid conflicting claims and a notable absence of any documentary evidence to establish rightful ownership.
The disputed property, located off Uwasota Road near Uwelu in the Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, consists of a mini-estate featuring several blocks of flats and boys' quarters. According to multiple reports, the buildings are currently occupied by a private school, which pays rent to a lawyer representing an unknown proprietor, and a Pentecostal church. The probe was prompted by what the ESPPC described as a wall of silence from individuals claiming ownership of the estate, who have consistently failed to present any title documents to substantiate their claims.
The history of the estate is deeply intertwined with the political and personal life of Ambrose Alli, who governed the old Bendel State—now split into Edo and Delta states—from 1979 until his defeat in the 1983 elections. According to local accounts, the property was reportedly a gift from a contractor engaged by the Alli administration, intended as compensation for the then-governor. However, proper documentation of the arrangement was never completed. The benefactor, who was also arrested following the military coup that ended the Second Republic in December 1983, died before formally handing over the property to Alli. Alli himself never took possession of the buildings before his death in 1989, following his release from prison after a fine was paid on his behalf.
Residents and local leaders have provided conflicting accounts of the property's history. Pa Vincent Aduware, the eldest man (Odionwere) in the area, told investigators that the buildings belonged to the late Ambrose Alli, but noted that after being abandoned, the property became a hideout for criminals, prompting the community to allow a school to occupy the space. Another resident, Comrade Edwin, a youth leader who claims to have worked as a labourer during the construction of the estate in 1981, insisted that the property belonged to Alli. However, he also revealed that about five or six years ago, a man from Delta State named Edafe surfaced, claiming the property was his father's and attempted to sell it for N60 million. Edwin said he stopped the sale and was subsequently arrested, but he maintains that the house belonged to Alli.
Chief Rose Alli, a daughter of the late governor, acknowledged the existence of the properties earlier this year, stating that a commissioner in Alli's cabinet had confirmed their existence. However, she noted that because the family abandoned the buildings, many people were now laying claim to them. The ESPPC chairman, Eugene Okoloise, who visited the site for a fact-finding mission, expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation from claimants. "We have been calling them to come and substantiate their claims, but they have been running," Okoloise said. He added that he would take the matter to Governor Monday Okpebholo, who would have the final say on the ownership of the property.
The late Prof. Ambrose Alli, a respected academic and politician, governed Bendel State during Nigeria's Second Republic. He lost his re-election bid in 1983 to Samuel Ogbemudia and was arrested shortly after the military coup that ended the republic in December of that year. He was sentenced to 100 years in prison by a military tribunal on charges of misappropriating N983,000 meant for a road project. He died in 1989, shortly after his release from prison. The current dispute over his alleged estate highlights the complexities of property ownership in Nigeria, where undocumented gifts and informal arrangements often lead to protracted legal battles. As the investigation continues, the Edo State Government faces the challenge of resolving a dispute that has festered for decades, with no clear documentation to guide its decision.
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