In a landmark ruling, the Ikeja High Court has granted the wife and children of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu the right to their father’s estate and entitlements as a deceased director and shareholder of Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL).
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The decision, delivered by Justice Abdulfatah Lawal, comes after a decade-long legal battle over the control and management of assets within OTL, favoring Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, the widow of the late Ojukwu, and her two children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu.
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The dispute arose following an alleged attempt by the defendants, including OTL and other individuals, to seize the claimants’ residence at No. 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, along with several other properties in Lagos that were under the late Biafran warlord’s control.
The court’s ruling, delivered on June 24, emphasized the claimants’ status as biological children of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, establishing their rightful entitlement to their father’s estate and his interests in OTL.
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Justice Lawal stressed the principles of equity and fairness, ensuring the claimants’ possession and control of the specified properties and restraining the defendants from interfering with their rights.
The judge dismissed the counterclaim filed by the defendants for lack of competence and acknowledged the longstanding conduct of the 1st defendant in allowing the claimants’ family to reside on and derive income from the company’s assets over the years.
As a result of the ruling, the claimants are now entitled to the possession and occupation of the properties listed in the suit, including No. 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, until the management of OTL’s assets is harmonized. Furthermore, the threat of forceful ejection from the property by the defendants has been deemed illegal.
This verdict marks a significant resolution in the complex legal battle over the late Ojukwu’s estate, securing the rightful rights and interests of the widow and children in the valuable assets formerly controlled by their father.
