Bianca Opposes Ojukwu’s Second Child Application to Join Property Battle

The widow of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Bianca, has opposed an application by her husband’s son, seeking to be joined as a defendant in a suit she filed against the family over property.

Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Jr., Ojukwu’s second child, filed the application dated May 24, before Justice Abdulfattah Lawal of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, seeking to be joined alongside Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) and seven others.

Bianca had on behalf of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (claimants), sued Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) and seven others over an alleged threat by the family to eject them from the company’s properties in Lagos.

OTL was established by the late Biafran leader’s father, Sir Louis Ojukwu.

In his application, Ojukwu Jr. prayed the court to join him on the grounds that he is a director in OTL and by virtue of his position has responsibility to look after the interest of the other children of his late father.

He averred that the claimants in the suit are the last two of the eight children of his late father and they are represented by their mother who was the last of the six wives of his late father.

The son of the late Biafran warlord prayed the court to join him as defendant in the “best interest of justice.”

He added that any decision in respect of the claims of Bianca’s two children in the suit so far as it relates to his father’s interest in OTL “will affect me as the current head of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu’s family.”

However, in a 12-paragraph counter affidavit, Bianca’s children opposed their elder brother’s application.

They averred that they have no claim or relief whatsoever against him in the suit and that that the suit can be duly and properly determined without their elder brother as a defendant.

The claimant said the application was only a ploy to delay and scuttle the hearing and determination of the suit.

Other defendants in the suit are Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr. Patrick Ojukwu, Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs. Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company).

In their statement of claim, Bianca, and her two children are praying the court to declare that the alleged threat of forcible ejection from 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, by the defendants as illegal.

They are asking 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.

According to them, the properties were under the possession of the late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu 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 fought 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.”
Justice Lawal will hear the argument for the application on September 14.