Court grants Bianca's application to re-open evidence in suit against Ojukwu's family

Justice Abdulfattah Lawal of a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere has granted the application filed by Bianca, the wife of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, to re-open her evidence-in-chief in a suit she instituted against her husband’s family.

 Bianca had on behalf of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (claimants), instituted the suit against Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) and seven others before the court over an alleged attempt to eject her sons from the company’s property located in Lagos.

 The company (OTL) and its property belong to the father of the late husband.
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 and Company). The widow who had earlier testified before the court in two separate applications she filed seeking the leave of the court to allow her amend her writs of summon, statement of claims and also to re-open her evidence-in-chief.

All the respondents in the suit did not object to the applications.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Justice Lawal granted all the prayers of the applicants and ordered her to re-open her evidence-in-chief on June 3.

She had earlier in her evidence informed the court that she was the only wife that was legally married among Ojukwu’s wives, as she engaged in court, church and traditional marriage.
Bianca had also told the court that she knows one of the wives of the late Ikemba Nnewi, who is still alive.

She told the court that some of the OTL property in question had been in the possession of her late husband before his demise, adding that the rent of those property was being collected by her husband.
Mrs Ojukwu had also told the court that neither her nor her children are shareholders or directors in 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 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Street by the defendants is illegal.

She is also asking the court for a declaration that her children 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 and No. 30 McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.)

The claimants stated that throughout the period their father was struggling to retrieve the property 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.”
However, the matter was adjourned till June 3, when the claimant would give evidence.