Bianca Ojukwu’s Sons Withdraw Application to Join Ongoing Property Dispute Case

In a new development in the ongoing property dispute, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, sons of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, widow of the late Biafran leader, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, have withdrawn their earlier application before the Lagos High Court.

The application had sought to join as parties in a 2011 suit filed by Ogbonna Ojukwu and others against Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) and others.

The case, marked LD/794/2011, involved a judgment by Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, granting possession of OTL properties in Lagos, including No. 29 Oyikan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, to OTL.

Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was a party to the suit until his death in 2011.

Following the judgment, OTL executed a warrant of possession on all its Lagos properties, with the certificate of completion of execution obtained in July 2022.

Last year, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu applied to the court to be joined as “Interested Parties” and requested exemption from the executed warrant in the case.

However, in a surprising turn of events, the duo has filed a ‘Notice of Withdrawal’ of their motion to be included in the suit.

The notice, dated December 16, 2024, formally seeks to withdraw their motion for joinder against the claimants and respondents.

During the last hearing on their application for joinder on April 22, 2024, the court saw the attendance of OTL Director, Dr. P Ike Ojukwu, their agent Mr. Massey Udegbe, and lawyer Chief Ifeanyi Okumah.

The case has been adjourned until March 10, 2025.

Earlier, in 2022, Justice A.M. Lawal had issued a restraining order preventing interference with Afamefuna and Nwachukwu’s possession of the properties until the harmonization of Ojukwu’s assets by OTL.

In response to the ongoing proceedings, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu had filed a ‘Notice of Disobedience of Court Order’ against OTL, the Ojukwu family, and other tenants, claiming that they were unaware of the suit before Justice Oyebanji and had not been included as interested parties.

They argued that excluding them from the decision-making process would lead to a miscarriage of justice, as the case directly affects their interests.

Meanwhile, OTL, following the judgment by Justice Lawal in 2022, has reorganised the management of its assets and reaffirmed Massey Udegbe & Co as its estate agent, publishing the decision in two national newspapers.

OTL has also highlighted several ongoing issues with tenants, including unpaid rents for 12 years (N144 million) by Uche Obilor/West African Offshore Limited at 30 Gerard Road, Ikoyi, as well as overdue payments from Foursquare Gospel Church at 32a Commercial Avenue, Yaba, since 2017.

Additionally, 4 Macpherson Road, Ikoyi, has been under police lock since 2015, while 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Road, Ikoyi, has remained unoccupied for over 20 years.

Only 13 Ojora Road, Ikoyi, is currently in good condition with a positive tenant-landlord relationship.