On Wednesday, April 16, something big happened at the Edo State High Court in Benin City. Two siblings, Mark Idah and Omoruyi Idah, went to court with a very serious request — they want to know who really has the right to inherit their late father’s property.
Their father, Engineer George Idah, used to be the chairman of Oredo Local Government Area before he sadly passed away in 1992. Now, there’s a disagreement about who truly belongs to the family and who should get a part of what he left behind.
The two brothers filed a lawsuit, case number B/233/2025, not just for themselves, but also for the other children of their late father. They are taking their case against Chief Osaro Idah, who is a respected chief at the Benin Palace.
Mark and Omoruyi say that Chief Osaro isn’t really part of their family. They told the court that their father didn’t officially recognize him as a son while he was alive, and there were no signs of a father-son relationship based on Benin traditions and customs.
Because of that, they’re asking the court to do a few important things:
- Officially say that Chief Osaro isn’t allowed to call himself a legal heir until it’s proven that he’s really their father’s son.
- Order Chief Osaro to take a DNA test (or any other scientific method) to check if he’s biologically related to Engineer George Idah.
- Stop him from saying he’s the first son or trying to take control of their father’s estate until everything is cleared up.
- And, let the court decide on anything else it thinks is fair.
This case could become a big deal because it’s not just about DNA — it’s also about how science and tradition work together in family matters. Everyone is now waiting to see what the court will decide.
