A fresh chapter has opened in the decades-long land controversy surrounding Nmai-Dzorn, as the Okpelor Sowah Din Family has formally petitioned the Ex
A fresh chapter has opened in the decades-long land controversy surrounding Nmai-Dzorn, as the Okpelor Sowah Din Family has formally petitioned the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, accusing Benjamin Kwame Danso—NDC Constituency Chairman for Krowor—of allegedly abusing his office, engaging in conflict of interest, and interfering with the registration of their family lands.
In a detailed petition dated November 20, 2025, legal representatives of the family reiterated that the Okpelor Sowah Din Family remains the undisputed owner of the vast tracts of land constituting Nmai-Dzorn in the Greater Accra Region.
The family grounds its claim in a landmark ruling: the celebrated Supreme Court judgment delivered on May 5, 2004 in Adjetey Agbosu & Others v. Ebenezer Nikoi Kotey & Others, popularly referred to as the Ashale Botwe Lands case, reported in the Ghana Law Reports (2003–2005).
That ruling, delivered by an eminent panel including Justices Kpegah, Georgina Wood, Brobbey, Dr. Seth Twum, and Dr. Date-Bah, conclusively affirmed the family’s ownership.
The dispute resurfaced in August 2024 when the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service wrote to the Judicial Secretary seeking authentication of the Supreme Court judgement.
The Judicial Secretary promptly confirmed its validity. Following this confirmation, both the Nmai-Dzorn faction and the Nungua Stool were invited to the CID Headquarters, where police investigators reaffirmed that Nmai-Dzorn lands indeed belong to the Okpelor Sowah Din Family.
The Borteyman Composite Plan—signed by both the Chief of Nungua and the Gborbu Wulomo—also corroborated this ownership.
However, despite these conclusive judicial and administrative endorsements, the petition alleges that Benjamin Kwame Danso, who reportedly claims to represent both Top Kings Company Ltd. and the Nungua Stool, has continued to trespass on the lands and obstruct the family’s attempts to regularize their land titles.
According to the petitioners, even after Top Kings and its General Manager agreed to a settlement and signed a memorandum of understanding with the family, Danso allegedly refused to comply and instead presented himself as speaking for the Nungua Stool.
The petition outlines a series of legal maneuvers initiated by Danso and the Nungua Stool. On July 31, 2025, they filed for an injunction (Suit No. LD/0070/2025) seeking to restrain the Nmai-Dzorn Family.
The court dismissed the application, reaffirming the family’s ownership. A second attempt—this time at the Tema High Court—was eventually withdrawn after the applicants reportedly received legal advice.
Despite these setbacks, the petition accuses Danso of persisting in obstructing the family’s land registration process at the Lands Commission.
The family alleges that he has manipulated internal procedures to create delays or blocks, and further claims he has influenced his appointment to the newly constituted Lands Commission Board—an alleged move intended to advance his personal interests in the disputed lands.
The petition describes these actions as a “clear abuse of office, conflict of interest, and unlawful interference in the administration of justice and land governance.”
It warns that such conduct undermines the authority of the Supreme Court and compromises the credibility of the Lands Commission, a body mandated to operate impartially and transparently.
The Okpelor Sowah Din Family is therefore requesting that the Lands Commission:
1. Investigate the conduct of Danso in relation to the disputed land.
2. Process all pending land registration applications strictly in line with the Supreme Court’s final judgment.
3. Sanction or prosecute any Lands Commission officials found to have acted in bad faith.
4. Protect the family’s constitutional rights by ensuring their lands are duly registered.
The petition concludes by urging the Commission to act swiftly, stressing that the continued alleged interference not only violates their rights but also erodes public confidence in the land administration system.
The Lands Commission is expected to respond in the coming days as tensions around the Nmai-Dzorn land dispute continue to intensify.
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