Ojukwu’s Family Crisis: Court Fixes April 23 For CMC Over Disputed Properties

A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere will on April 23 conduct a Case Management Conference (CMC) for possible settlement of the suit filed by Bianca, the widow of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu against Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) and seven others.
The trial judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke fixed the date on Monday after establishing that all the parties in the suit have filed and served their pleadings.

Usually during a CMC, the case management judge will determine if everyone has filed their papers on time and if the parties have tried to settle the case out of court.
During the conference, the trial judge will try to help parties choose a good process for working on a settlement.

In the suit, which was originally before the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Funmilayo Atilade before it was reassigned to Justice Oke, Bianca is suing on be half of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu.

She wants the court to declare that her children are entitled to the possession and occupation of the property known as No 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, until the harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of the first defendant, OTL.

In their statement of claim, the claimants are urging the court to declare that the threat of forceful ejection from 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Street by the defendants is illegal.

They are also playing the court to declare that they 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; No. 30 McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.
All the above properties were alleged to be under the possession of late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu-the father of the claimants from the time the properties were released from government acquisition till date.
The claimants are further seeking for an order of court restraining the defendants, their agents or privies from interfering with the claimants’ possession and control of the properties.

However, in their statement of defence, the 1st -7th defendants averred that the subscribers of the memorandum of association of Ojukwu Transport Limited (1st defendant) at incorporation in 1952 were L P Ojukwu and Betram Chukwuemeka Obi adding that the late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu and one Professor Joseph Ojukwu (2nd defendant) were later appointed as directors in 1953.

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