Some family members of the late Biafran leaders and Ikemba Nnewi,
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has challenged the Nigerian Ambassador to
Spain, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu to show proof that she was legally married to
the deceased.
This was the fresh twist introduced into current legal battle rocking
the family of the late Ikemba of Nnewi over sharing of his estate.
In a 19-paragraph statement of defence brought by the eight
defendants, through their counsel, George Uwechue, they denied that
Bianca, who instituted the action on behaif of her two children, ever
married to the late Biafran leader.
Listed as defendants in the suit instituted by Afamefuna and
Nwachukwu, through their mother, are Ojukwu Transport Limited, Prof.
Joseph Ojukwu, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu and Dr.
Patrick Ojukwu. Others include Mr. Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu
and Mrs. Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe and
Company).
The claimants, in suit No. LD/1539/2012, prayed the court to declare
that they were entitled to the possession and occupation of the property
known as No 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Street in Ikoyi, Lagos until the
harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of the
first defendant (OTL).
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the absence of
counsel to Bianca and her children forced the court to adjourn the suit
till December 10 for adoption of written addresses.
Afamefuna and Nwachukwu 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. They also urged the
court to declare that they were entitled to possess the following
property: No. 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now known as No. 13, Ojora
Road); No. 32A, Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; No. 30, Gerard Road,
Ikoyi, Lagos; No. 30, McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.
Bianca’s children stated that throughout the period their father was
struggling to retrieve the property 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.”
Besides, the claimant is asking for an order of court restraining the
defendants, their agents or privies from interfering with the
claimants’ possession and control of the properties.
In their statement of defence, the 1st to 7th defendants, through
their lawyer, George Uwechue, averred that the subscribers of the
memorandum of association of Ojukwu Transport Limited (1st defendant) at
incorporation in 1952 were L. P. Ojukwu and Betram Chukwuemeka Obi,
adding that the late Ojukwu and one Prof. Joseph Ojukwu (2nd defendant)
were later appointed as directors in 1953.
They stated that Ojukwu thereafter ceased to be a director of the
company, prior to the Nigerian civil war and was reappointed as a
director on December 16, 2005, while the 3rd and 4th defendants were
appointed directors in 1954 and 2005 respectively.
They added that the claimants’ statement of claim contained tissues of lies and distorted facts.
Besides, they stated that Ojukwu moved to Enugu State and had not
lived at any of the company’s property as alleged by the claimant.
They averred: “The property belongs to the first defendant (the
company). The fact is that the claimants’ mother felt she could hold
onto the first defendant’s properties. 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 such
agreement, which their late father had, from the first defendant, for
him to control and/or manage the properties of the first defendant.
Culled from The Sun
No comments:
Post a Comment