I’m Ojukwu’s only legal wife —Bianca

Bianca Ojukwu, Widow of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, yesterday told a Lagos High Court that she’s the only legal wife of her late husband. Bianca stated this while testifying in a suit she filed on behalf of her two underaged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (claimants) against Ojukwu Transport Limited, OTL, and seven others over an alleged move by the family to eject her sons from the company’s properties located in Lagos. She had sought a declaration that her children are entitled to the possession and occupation of one of the properties known as 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, until the harmonisation of the management and administration of assets of the first defendant (OTL). 
The defendants in the suit are Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Engr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr. Patrick Ojukwu, Arc. Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company). Bianca, in her evidencein- chief before Justice Abdulfattah Lawal , admitted that neither she nor her children are shareholders or directors in OTL.
 Besides, Bianca admitted that Ojukwu has eight children, which include the claimant’s Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, adding that she’s the only one that was legally married among Ojukwu’s wives, as she did court, church and traditional marriages.
 She, however, explained that the suit was instituted to enforce the rights of her two children and not for other children of Ojukwu. Bianca stated that some of the properties in contention had been in possession of her late husband before his demise, adding that the rent of those properties was being collected by him. In her statement of claim, Bianca and her two children had 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 properties, namely: 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now known as 13, Ojora road); 32A, Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; 30, Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; 30, McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi. According to her, the properties were under the possession of the late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu – father of the claimants from the time the properties were released from government acquisition till date.
 The claimants stated that throughout the period their father was struggling to retrieve the properties 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 judge adjourned the matter till today for continuation of cross-examination of Bianca

NATIONAL MIRROR