By Onozure Danai

Lagos- The wife of late Biafran war lord, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu’s application to re- open her evidence in chief, in a suit she instituted against her husband’s family, was on Tuesday, granted by Justice Abdulfattah Lawal of a Lagos High Court, sitting at Igbosere.

Bianca

Bianca had on behalf of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (claimants) instituted the suit against Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) and seven others before the court over an alleged attempt to eject her sons from the company’s properties located in Lagos.

The company (OTL) and its property belong to father of the late Biafran warlord.

Other defendants in the suit are: Prof Joseph Ojukwu, Engr. Emmanuel Ojukwu; Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu; Dr Patrick Ojukwu; Arch. Edward Ojukwu; Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company).

The widow who had earlier testified before the court filed two separate applications, seeking for leave of the court, to allow her amend her writs of summon, statement of claims and also to re-open her evidence in chief.

All the respondents in the suit did not object to the applications.

At the resumed hearing of the matter today, Justice Lawal granted all the prayers of the applicants and ordered her to re-open her Evidence-in-Chief on June 3.

She had earlier in her evidence before the court, testified that she was the only wife that was legally married among Ojukwu’s wives, as she engaged in court, Church and traditional marriage.

Bianca had also told the court that she knows one of the wives of the late ikemba of Nnewi, who is still alive.

She informed the court that some of the OTL properties in question had been in the possession of her late husband before his demise, adding that the rent of those properties were being collected by her husband.

Mrs Ojukwu had also told the Court that neither her nor her children are shareholders or directors in Ojukwu Transport Limited, OTL.

In the suit, Bianca, and her two children, had in their statement of claim, 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 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 and No. 30 McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.)

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 matter was adjourned till June 3, when the claimant will give evidence.