In a landmark judgment, a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has finally put an end to the decades-long litigation concerning the management and control of assets belonging to Ojukwu Transport Ltd, OTL. The court ruled in favor of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, the widow of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and her two children.
Before his passing in 2011, the late Ojukwu served as a director of OTL, which is a family-owned company. Following his death, a legal battle ensued, with the case bearing reference LD/1539/2012. Ambassador Bianca, on behalf of her two infant sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, initiated the lawsuit against OTL and seven others, including brothers of the late Ojukwu, their sons, and a property agent.
The dispute revolved around the alleged attempts by the defendants, specifically the 4th to 7th defendants, to forcibly seize the claimants’ residence at No. 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos. Moreover, they sought to take control of several other properties in Lagos, which were under the management and control of their late father, a prominent Biafran warlord.
After carefully considering the evidence presented by all parties involved, the court, presided over by Justice A. M. Lawal, reached a momentous decision on June 24. The judgment recognized the claimants, being the biological children of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, as rightful heirs to their father’s estate, including his entitlements as a deceased director and shareholder of OTL.
Justice Lawal emphasized the principle of equity, affirming that the court would not allow the dispossession of the claimants, who are the children of a founding director, while other directors retained control of the company’s other assets and derived benefits from them.
The court noted that the company itself had allowed the family to reside in and derive income from its assets for a considerable period, signifying the claimants’ legitimate connection to these properties.
The court further rejected the defendants’ counterclaim due to lack of competence and declared that the claimants were entitled to possess and occupy No. 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, along with several other properties listed in the suit. The defendants were restrained from interfering with the claimants’ possession and control of these properties.
This ruling brings closure to a prolonged legal dispute, affirming the rightful inheritance of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and her two children in the assets managed by their late father during his lifetime.
LIB
