Lady Bianca, widow of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has told a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere that
only her children can inherit the property of the late Igbo leader
because, according to her, she was the only woman he legally married.
Odumegwu-Ojikwu’s brothers and Bianca are in court over the late Biafran leader’s estate.
But under cross-examination before Justice Abdulfattah Lawal, Bianca
admitted that neither her nor any of her children are shareholders or
directors in Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL), the estate in dispute.
But she still insisted that she was the only one
that was legally married amongst all Ojukwu’s wives, as they had court, church and traditional marriage.
Bianca said that she was aware of just one wife that was married to
Ojukwu in the traditional way. She told the court that Ojukwu had eight
children who included the claimants - Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (her
children).
Bianca said that the suit filed before the court was to establish and
assert the right of only her children and not the other children of
Ojukwu. She further told the court that some of the disputed OTL were in
the possession of her late husband before he died, adding that the rent
on them, were being collected by the deceased.
Bianca had on behalf of her two children (Afamefuna and Nwachukwu)
dragged OTL and seven others before the court over an alleged move to
eject them from the company’s property located in Lagos.
She asked the court to declare that Afamefuna and Nwachukwu are entitled
to the possession and occupation of one of the property 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).
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 the house by the defendants was illegal.
She also asked the court for a declaration that her children are
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 and No. 30 McPherson
Avenue, Ikoyi, all belonging to the late Ojukwu.
