LATE OJUKWU'S FAMILY DEMANDS PROOF OF MARRIAGE FROM BIANCA

FRANKLIN ONWUBIKO - Some members of the Ojukwu family have asked the Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Bianca Ojukwu, to show proof that she was legally married to the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu. In a 19-paragraph statement of defence filed by Ojukwu Transport Limited and seven others before Justice Funmilayo Atilade of the...
Lagos High Court, the family equally demanded proof
from Bianca that her two sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu are
biological sons of Odimegwu- Ojukwu.
The other defendants are Prof. Joseph
Ojukwu, Engr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr Patrick Ojukwu, Arc.
Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and
Mrs. Massey Udegbe (doing business under
Massey Udegbe & Company).
Bianca had in suit No: LD/1539/2012 filed on
behalf of her two under-aged children,
Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (claimants),
wants the court to declare that her children
are entitled to the possession and occupation
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).
At the resumed hearing of the suit yesterday,
counsel to Bianca and her children, was not
in court which necessitated Justice Atilade to
adjourn the suit till December 10 for
adoption of written addresses on a Motion
on Notice 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.
In addition, they urged the court to declare
that they 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; No. 30,
McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.
Bianca's children said throughout the period
their father was struggling to retrieve the
properties from the government, the second
to the 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'possesion and control of the
properties.
But, in their statement of defence, the 1st to
the 7th defendants through their lawyer,
George Uwechue, SAN, 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 Chukwuemeka
Odimegwu-Ojukwu and one Prof. Joseph
Ojukwu (2nd defendant) were later
appointed as directors in 1953.
They stated that late Chukwuemeka
Odimegwu- 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 alleging that Bianca who instituted the
suit, "being greedy felt that she could hold
unto the company's properties."
Culled from National Mirror