Ojukwu: Bianca must be properly served with suit, says judge

Justice Adedayo Oyebanji of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, yesterday ordered that a suit filed against Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and seven others over some property must be properly served on her.

She said the suit should be published in a national newspaper since she could not be served personally.

The suit, which is one of several others before different judges, was filed by a lawyer and businessman Chief Debe Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

The claimant was disowned by the Ojukwu family, who insisted he was not a son of the late Ikemba Nnewi.

Mrs Ojukwu was not represented during yesterday’s proceedings.
There was confusion over her current address.

She had claimed in another suit that she lived in Ikoyi, Lagos, with her children.
As Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, the claimant’s lawyer, Jeff Kadiri, said it was not clear where she could be reached.

He said the Court Sheriffs had executed the judge’s earlier order of substituted service of the papers on Bianca by pasting them on the wall of her Enugu home.
According to Kadiri, “as a politician”, Mrs Ojukwu was deemed to be living in both Enugu and Spain.

The claimant and a firm, Silver Convention Nig Ltd are urging the court to declare that he is entitled to the properties of the late Ojukwu.

He said was denied any of the assets by those where supposed to be his brothers.
The defendants include Ojukwu Transport Ltd, Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Mr. Lotanna Ojukwu, Mr. Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mr. Patricia Ojuwku and Mrs Margaret Nwagbo (Nee Ojukwu).

Debe claimed he lost “several contracts, business opportunities and goodwill” due to “continuous denigration” by the family.

He also claimed that Silver Convention Nig Ltd., which he claimed to be running on the family’s behalf, financed Ojukwu’s burial to the tune of N100million.

He prayed the court to declare that he, “as the first and eldest son of Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu” is “entitled to manage or lead in the management and control of all the disposable assets and belongings” of Ojukwu Transport Limited.

Debe claimed that the family did not let him perform the dust-to-dust burial rites in honour of “his father”.

He asked the court to hold that he is entitled to collect the military paraphernalia used for the burial ceremonies of the late Ojukwu.

According to him, his mother, Magaret, gave birth to him to the late Ojukwu on August 3, 1956.

He therefore sought a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants “from tampering or interfering in any manner” with any of “his father’s” real and personal estates.
He also asked N200million as general damages against the defendants.
The defendants denied that Debe is their brother.

However, Bianca is yet to file a statement of defence.

The other defendants insisted that Debe and Magaret were never known as members of the Odimegwu-Ojukwu family.

According to them, Debe was never mentioned by the late Odimegwu-Ojukwu as a family member.

They said eight people were listed Ojukwu’s Will.

The will, they said, was published in a national newspaper last December 2, but Debe’s name was not in it.

They claimed Debe only got involved in managing Silver Convention Nig. Ltd through his law firm, Ogbonnaa Ojukwu & Associates.

The management, they added, was based on an agreement with the family meant subsist from 1995 and 2007.
Justice Oyebanji adjourned till May 22 for mention.