A multi-generational dispute over the ownership of the Agordoe lands and the Azi Lablaka stool has been brought to a decisive close by the SUPREME CHIEF PRIEST OF THE ADZEMUNUA SHRINE.
In a ruling delivered on May 2, 2025, the arbitration tribunal of Togbe Adzemunua declared Agbotadua Azi the rightful owner of the disputed Agordoe lands, ending a conflict that has fractured the Azi Lablaka family for decades.
History of Conflict
The case, titled Agbota Azi supported by Ben Agbotadua Agbodzi ( Togbe Kpefufu) of Torve, vrs Ben Awusanya & Others, pitted Agbotadua Azi, the self-proclaimed Head of Family, against Ben Awusanya and other respondents. At the heart of the dispute was the history of how the family patriarch, Torgbui Azi Lablaka, originally acquired the land.
Agbotadua Azi argued that his ancestor acquired the land from Torgbui Anni and that he, Agbotadua, had successfully defended the land in a High Court case in Ho as far back as 1984 .
He told the tribunal he had spent his fortune on legal fees and sought the intervention of the deity to prove his truthfulness, stating ominously during the proceedings: “If I am telling lies, I will die” .
On the opposing side, Ben Awusanya challenged Agbotadua’s legitimacy, arguing that the land was originally granted by Torgbui Anatsi of Torve, not Anni, Awusanya accused Agbotadua of stealing the family Stool eight years ago, selling off family palm trees without accountability, and “sacking” elders who attempted to intervene. Meanwhile Agbotadua Azi denied all that confirming the Agordoe’s land the ownership and Togbe Kpefufu is the rightful ownership of Torve land. Togbe Anatsi has no land to be granted, moreover his paternally a native of Bakpa Town and clan of Aho in Bakpa.
Tribunal Investigation
The proceedings at the Office of Togbe Adzemunua were marked by tense exchanges. Awusanya argued that Agbotadua was related to the family only through the maternal line (a “Tasivi-Nyrivi” or cousin) and therefore shouldn’t hold the primary claim to the land .
Agbotadua Azi denied and ask Ben that, whether his not from Taviafe? and Ben Awasanya answered that yes his from Taviafe. However, Agbotadua maintained he had worked the land for 60 years without opposition until recently.
Crucially, the tribunal did not rely solely on the heated oral arguments. The court dispatched delegates to Agordoe for a fact-finding mission. There, they interviewed four native residents, asking them to identify the true owner of the land.
According to the judgment, three of the four residents confirmed the land belongs to Agbotadua Azi, while the fourth remained neutral.
The Verdict
In its final judgment, the tribunal ruled in favor of Agbotadua Azi. The panel cited several key reasons for their decision:
1. Corroborated Boundaries: The description of the land boundaries provided by Agbotadua Azi supported by Ben Agbotadua Agbodzi of Kpefufu family of Torve, matched the findings of the tribunal’s field investigation .
2. Public Consensus: The testimony of the local residents overwhelmingly supported Agbotadua’s claim .
3. Refusal of Ritual Oath: The judgment noted that when Agbotadua Azi challenged Ben Awusanya to let the shrine “seek justice” if he truly owned the land, Awusanya disagreed .
The ruling solidifies Agbotadua Azi’s control over the Agordoe lands, defined by boundaries stretching from the Tordzi river to the Tayiboe stream being the boundaries in between Togbe Kpefufu and the rightful owner of Torve land, one side by Nunyshi of Dawlo land, one side by Torgbui Dadugblor of Agbadrafor land, and by Awasiafe Fedome and Nyivortorvo of Togbe Xi’s.
The decision marks a significant victory for traditional arbitration in the Agave Traditional Area, resolving a complex mixture of land law, genealogy, and spiritual accountability that had lingered since the 1980s.
