•Late warlord’s wife, Bianca, sues extended family over properties
When rich men die, they don’t always rest in perfect peace because their death is always the beginning of battle between family members over the estates and properties left behind. In fact, in some extreme cases, these family members go to the extent of consulting spiritualist and lives are lost mysteriously.
Chief Odimegwu Ojukwu is a hero to many Nigerians, but as you read, his family members are at one another’s jugular over the estate and property the Biafran warlord left behind. For some times now, there have been legal battles going between Bianca Ojukwu’s and some members of the late warlord’s family.
At a court sitting on Monday, February 1, 2016, Bianca Ojukwu told an Igbosere High Court, Lagos, that she was the only legal wife of the deceased husband. She said this during the commencement of trial in the legal battle between her and the other family members over the family estate.
Bianca had instituted the case on behalf of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu. She is asking the court to determine the legitimate owners of Ojukwu Transport Ltd (OTL) and to stop an alleged move by the family to eject her sons from the company’s properties located in Lagos.
Bianca, in her evidence in chief before Justice Abdulfattah Lawal, told the court that neither her nor her children were shareholders or directors in OTL. She said that Ojukwu had eight children, including her under-aged children, who are claimants in the case.
She told the court that she was the only woman legally married to Ojukwu, because her court, Church and traditional marriage rights were performed. Bianca, during cross examination also told the court that the suit was filed to ascertain the right of her own children and not other children of Ojukwu.
The witness further informed the court that some of the OTL properties in question had been in the possession of her late husband before his demise.She added that the rents of those properties were being collected by her husband.
Bianca had asked the court to declare that her children are entitled to the possession and occupation of one of the properties known as No. 29, Oyinkan Abayomi St., Ikoyi, Lagos.
She asked the court to declare this until the harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of the first defendant –(OTL).
The defendants in the suit include: Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr Patrick Ojukwu. Others are Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company).
In the suit, Bianca, had in her statement of claim, prayed the court to declare that the threat of forceful ejection from 29 Oyinkan Abayomi St., by the defendants was illegal. She is also asking the court for a declaration that her children are entitled to possess the following properties, namely: No. 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now known as No. 13, Ojora road). Also, No 32A Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; No 30 Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and No. 30 McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.
According to her, the properties are under the possession of the late Ojukwu-the father of the claimants from the time the properties were released from government acquisition till date.
The claimants stated that throughout the period their father was struggling to retrieve the properties from the government, the second to seventh defendants “never played any role in the struggle, nor contributed financially or otherwise to the realization of the struggle.”
