Bianca Ojukwu, widow of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu on Monday told an Igbosere high court, Lagos, that she is the only legal wife of the deceased. 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 Abdulfattah Lawal, the presiding judge, told the court
that neither her nor her children were shareholders or directors in OTL.
She said 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 his property 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, 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: Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel
Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Patrick Ojukwu.
Others are Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora
Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe &
Company). In her statement of claim, Bianca 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 at 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now known as No. 13, Ojora
road). Also, 32A Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; 30 Gerard Road, Ikoyi,
Lagos, and 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
realisation of the struggle.”
However, the Judge adjourned the case till February 2, for continuation of cross examination.
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