Court orders prophet to pay N200m for destroying Tompolo’s Egbesu shrine in Delta
A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has ordered Prophet Tamarauebi Elisha Owan, founder of GreatGod Holy Tabernacle, to pay 200 million naira in damages for the illegal destruction of a traditional Egbesu shrine. This shrine is significant to the Niger Delta community, where Chief Government Ekpemupolo, commonly referred to as Tompolo, and other leaders serve as chief priests.
Justice H.A. Nganjiwa delivered the ruling on June 29, 2026, characterizing the actions of Prophet Owan and his congregation as “unconstitutional.” The court noted that their actions violated the constitutional rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
In addition to the financial penalty, the court ordered Owan and his co-respondents to rebuild the Osuopele Beniseide Opu-Oru Temple, which was damaged during the incident.
The case stemmed from an event on December 20, 2024, in the Ojobo community, where Prophet Owan and members of his church reportedly invaded the Osuopele Beniseide Opu-Oru Temple, a shrine dedicated to the Egbesu deity. Court documents indicated that the group acted under the pretense of “combating evil spirits,” resulting in extensive damage to the site.