Lagos—The trial in the ongoing legal battle between the widow of the
late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu and his
brothers over the family estate commenced yesterday before a Lagos
state High Court sitting at Igbosere.
Mrs Ojukwu in
her evidence in chief before Justice Abdulfattah Lawal, admitted that
neither her nor her children are shareholders or directors in Ojukwu
Transport Limited, OTL.
She also admitted that Ojukwu has eight
children which includes the claimants, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, adding
that she is the only one that was legally married among Ojukwu’s wives,
as she
engaged in court, Church and traditional marriage.
Bianca,
under cross examination also told the court that the suit that was
filed before the court is only for the right of her 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, adding that the rent of those
properties were being collected by her husband.
Mrs. Ojukwu had
on behalf of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu
(claimants) dragged Ojukwu Transport Limited, OTL, and seven others
before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere over an alleged move
by the family to eject her sons from the company’s properties located
in Lagos.
She 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 Street, Ikoyi Lagos until the
harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of the
first defendant, OTL.
The defendants in the suit are: Prof Joseph
Ojukwu, Engr. Emmanuel Ojukwu; Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu; Dr Patrick
Ojukwu; Arch. Edward Ojukwu; Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe
(doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company).
In the suit,
Bianca, and her two children, had in their statement of claim, prayed
the court to declare that the threat of forceful ejection from 29
Oyinkan Abayomi Street by the defendants is illegal.
She is also
asking the court for a declaration that her children are entitled to
possess the following property, namely: No. 13 Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi
(now known as No. 13 Ojora Road; No. 32A Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos;
No. 30 Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and No. 30 McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.
According
to her, the properties were under the possession of late Chukwuemeka
Odimegwu 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 realisation of the struggle.”
However, the judge adjourned the matter till today, for continuation of cross examination of Bianca.
Source: Vanguard
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