The family of late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu have told his wife, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, to provide evidence of her legal marriage to the late warlord to warrant having a stake in the transport company and his estate, which are a subject of dispute.
In a statement of defence filed before Justice Funmilayo Atilade of the Lagos High Court, the Ojukwu brothers and Ojukwu Transport Limited further demanded proof that Bianca’s two sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, are biological children of the late Ojukwu.
Bianca had instituted legal proceedings against Professor Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr. Patrick Ojukwu, Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs. Massey Udegbe before the court, seeking a declaration that her children are entitled to the possession and occupation of 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi until the harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of OTL.
Bianca’s lawyer, Chris Ezugwu, urged the court to declare the threat of forceful ejection of her sons from the property as illegal; and that they are entitled to possess 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now 13 Ojora Road); 32A Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; 30 Gerard Road, Ikoyi, and 30 McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.
Bianca’s argument was that the defendants were nowhere to be found when her sons’ father, Ojukwu struggled to retrieve the listed properties from the state government. She, therefore, prayed for an order restraining the defendants, their agents or privies from interfering with their possession and control of the properties.
In his defence, lawyer of the brothers, George Uwechue (SAN) argued that the subscribers of the Memorandum of Association of OTL (1st defendant) at incorporation in 1952 were L.P Ojukwu and Betram Chukwuemeka Obi, as the late Ojukwu and one Prof. Joseph Ojukwu (2nd defendant) were later appointed as directors in 1953.
He also stated that Ojukwu ceased to be a director of the company even before the Civil War and was only reappointed as a director on 16th December 2005.
