A Federal High Court in Warri has ordered a Christian cleric to pay 200 million naira ($125,000) in damages and to rebuild a traditional Egbesu shrine he and his congregants destroyed, in a ruling on religious freedoms in southern Nigeria.
The court found that Prophet Tamarauebi Elisha Owan, founder of GreatGod Holy Tabernacle, acted “unconstitutionally” when he led an invasion of the Osuopele Beniseide Opu-Oru Temple on Dec. 20, 2024. The judge said the raid violated Sections 10 and 38 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Court records show Owan and members of his congregation entered the Ojobo Community temple, a historic worship centre dedicated to the Egbesu deity, under the stated aim of “combating evil spirits”. The incursion caused extensive structural damage and the destruction of cultural artefacts, according to the applicants.
Delivering judgment on June 29, 2026, the court condemned what it called notions of religious supremacy and said the harassment of traditional worshippers was discriminatory.
Orders/damages
The court made several orders:
1. The respondents must fully rebuild the Osuopele Beniseide Opu-Oru Temple in Ojobo Community.
2. Exemplary damages: 100 million naira for the unlawful and malicious destruction of the temple and its deities.
3. General damages: A further 100 million naira for the violation of constitutional rights and for “untold ridicule and humiliation” suffered by Egbesu adherents.
4. Costs: 5 million naira jointly payable for legal and filing expenses.
The judge also issued a restraining injunction barring Owan and his followers from coming within 10 kilometres of the temple or its practitioners. The respondents were further directed to publish a public apology in two national daily newspapers circulating across Nigeria.
Egbesu worship, centred on a deity associated with war and protection, remains a significant traditional practice in parts of the Niger Delta. Legal experts said the judgment is among the few in which a Nigerian court has ordered the physical reconstruction of a desecrated traditional place of worship.
There was no immediate comment from Owan or his legal representatives.