Some members of the late Ikemba Nnewi,
Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s family have alleged that the widow of the
deceased, Bianca, is greedy by laying claim to some assets of her late husband.
In a 19-paragraph statement of defence filed
before a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, the Ojukwu Transport Limited and seven
family members challenged Bianca to prove her claims in the suit which she
instituted on behalf of her two underage sons.
The two sons – Afamefuna and Nwachukwu – are the
claimants on record in the suit numbered, LD/1539/2012.
The Ojukwu Transport Limited, which is the
property in dispute in the suit, is the first defendant. Other defendants,
apart from OTL, are Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Ojukwu, Dr.
Patrick Ojukwu, Mr. Edward Ojukwu, Lota Ojukwu and Mrs. Massey Udegbe.
The relatives stated that, contrary to the
allegation of the claimants, for over 12 years prior to the death of the
deceased, the late Ojukwu had moved to Enugu State and had
not lived at any of the property since then.
Their statement of defence read, “The property
belongs to the first defendant (Ojukwu Transport Company). The fact is that the
claimants’ mother, being greedy, felt she could hold onto the first defendant’s
property.
“For over 12 years prior to his death, the late
Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu moved to Enugu and since then had not lived at
the first defendant’s property as alleged by the claimants.”
They challenged Bianca’s children to show proof
of “any agreement which their late father had from the first defendant (OTL)
for him to control and/or manage the property of the first defendant.”
Bianca, who is Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, had
instituted the suit on behalf of Afamefuna and Nwachukwu urging the court to
declare that the two underage children were entitled to some assets belonging
to the Ojukwu Transport Limited.
She wanted the court to declare that her children
were entitled to occupy and take possession of the company’s property at 29,
Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos “until the harmonisation of the management
and administration of the assets of the first defendant (OTL)”.
In addition, they urged the court to declare that
they were entitled to possess their father’s property at 13 Hawksworth Road,
Ikoyi (now known as 13, Ojora Road); 32A, Commercial Avenue,
Yaba, Lagos; 30, Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; and 30, McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.
But, in their statement of defence, the seven
defendants, through their lawyer, George Uwechue (SAN), stated that the
claimants’ statement of claim contained “tissues of lies and distorted facts.”
At the resumed hearing of the suit on Wednesday,
counsel for Bianca and her children was not in court. The development
necessitated Justice Funmilayo Atilade to adjourn the suit till December 10.
The judge had adjourned the matter for adoption
of written addresses on an application filed by the claimants seeking to
restrain the defendants from the property in dispute.
Bianca’s children had through their lawyer, Chris
Ezugwu, prayed the court to declare as illegal the threat of forceful ejection
from 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street by the defendants.
PUNCH
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