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Defending the Land.
Protecting the People.
Land Rights Defenders fights to protect ancestral and community lands from fraud, exploitation, and unlawful dispossession in Ghana's Ashanti Region and the Global South.
High Court Trial — 24 October 2026
Benimasi-Boadi v. KNUST
KNUST is actively encroaching upon and selling portions of the 1,298.33 acres of Indigenous Benimasi-Boadi ancestral lands — which encompass the sacred burial grounds and cultural heritage site of Oheneyere Huahi Yaa Achama Tutuwaa, spouse of Asantehene Osei Tutu I — to private third parties, purporting to act under a lease that expired on March 31, 2010 and is void ab initio. Suit No. ASH/ADK/HC/E1/177/25 seeks a judicial declaration, permanent prohibition and cancellation of KNUST's title affecting the heritage site, and full damages.
Standing Between Communities and Those Who Would Take Their Land
Land Rights Defenders was founded on a simple but powerful conviction: that every community has the right to the land their ancestors cultivated, and that no fraud, corruption, or exploitation should be able to take that away.
Operating from Columbus, Ohio, with field operations in Ghana's Ashanti Region, we combine legal advocacy, community education, and policy engagement to defend land rights at every level — from the village courtyard to the halls of international governance.
Learn Our Story
Three Pillars of Land Rights Defense
Our programs address land rights from every angle — legal, political, and community-based.
Legacy Advocacy
Preserving ancestral land rights through legal documentation, title verification, and court representation for communities facing dispossession.
Learn MorePolicy Advocacy
Engaging lawmakers, international bodies, and civil society to strengthen land rights protections at the national and global policy level.
Learn MoreCommunity Empowerment
Training community leaders in land law literacy, documentation practices, and self-advocacy so communities can protect their own rights.
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The Benimasi-Boadi Community Victory
The Benimasi-Boadi case became a landmark moment in Ghanaian land rights history. When a developer attempted to seize over 200 acres of ancestral farmland from this Ashanti community through fraudulent documentation, Land Rights Defenders intervened with legal representation, evidence gathering, and community mobilization.
After an 18-month legal battle, the community's land title was upheld, setting a precedent that has since protected dozens of other communities facing similar threats.
Recognized by Independent Media
"When communities are separated from their ancestral lands, it can feel like a thread has been pulled from the fabric of their identity and daily life. I say this not just as an observer, but as someone who's seen it unfold firsthand."
"There is a reason this story is emerging now. History, urgency, and personal courage have converged. The land cannot wait, and silence is no longer an option."
Oct 10, 2025Land Rights Defenders Inc. on Indigenous Wisdom and the Future of Land Rights in Africa
Through Land Rights Defenders Inc., founder Nana Kwesi Osei Bonsu fosters dialogue on how Indigenous wisdom can reshape modern land stewardship and tenure practices — valuing oral histories alongside formal evidence to empower communities facing dispossession.
Read Full ArticleFeb 12, 2026Nana Kwesi Osei Bonsu on The Last Guardian of Ashanti and Why Land, Lineage, and Truth Still Matter
His work is defined by the belief that cultural survival is defended through public accountability and the willingness to speak when silence becomes precarious — positioning the memoir as a strategic intervention and a catalyst for indigenous rights advocacy.
Read Full ArticleAre you a journalist or media professional?
We welcome press inquiries, interview requests, and partnership opportunities.
The Communities We Serve
"Land Rights Defenders gave our community a voice when we had none. They fought for our land and they won. We will never forget what they did for us."
"This organization is doing God's work. They came to our village with lawyers, with documents, with real help. Our children will inherit their land because of them."
"I had given up hope that anyone would listen. Land Rights Defenders not only listened — they acted. They are the most dedicated advocates I have ever encountered."
Case Updates & News
High Court Orders KNUST to Post GH₵1,000,000 Undertaking
The Kumasi High Court (Land Division) refused the interlocutory injunction application but ordered KNUST to execute a GH₵1,000,000 undertaking at the court registry within two weeks. An expedited trial was ordered, with the matter listed for October 2025.
Second UNPFII Oral Statement Delivered in New York
Land Rights Defenders addressed the 24th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, presenting the Benimasi-Boadi v. KNUST case as a landmark example of institutional land grabbing and calling for UN-level intervention to protect Indigenous sacred heritage sites.
Benimasi-Boadi v. KNUST — Substantive Trial Scheduled
The High Court of Justice, Kumasi (Land Division) has scheduled the full trial for 24 October 2026. The case will determine whether KNUST's occupation and development of the sacred ancestral lands — including the burial grounds of Oheneyere Huahi Yaa Achama Tutuwaa — is unlawful, and whether the Family is entitled to all reliefs sought.
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The Last Guardian
of Ashanti
by Nana Kwesi Osei Bonsu
Founder & Executive Director, Land Rights Defenders
"The bloodline of King Osei Tutu, the legendary founder of the Ashanti Empire, flows through Nana Kwesi Osei Bonsu. But this heritage is not a blessing — it's a battleground."
This memoir begins with a painful childhood decision — to forsake one faith for another — which set Nana on a collision course with destiny and a deep-rooted betrayal. He tells a gripping story of a sacred covenant under siege, exposing the treachery surrounding the 1,298.33 acres of Benimasi-Boadi, an ancestral land granted by King Osei Tutu to his cherished consort, Oheneyere Huahi Yaa Achama Tutuwaa.
From the ancient rivers of his homeland to the harsh exile of a U.S. detention cell, Nana's journey is a powerful tale of resilience — a resurrection of forgotten laws, and a vow to protect his heritage. Proceeds from book sales directly support Land Rights Defenders' field operations in Ghana.
Every Donation Defends a Family's Future
Your contribution funds legal representation, community training, and advocacy work that protects ancestral lands across Ghana and the Global South.