Ojukwu's brothers demand paternity test from Bianca

Late Odimegwu Ojukwu's wife, Bianca is currently in a heated battle with her husband's brothers.

Bianca’s brothers-in-law have asked her to prove that she was legally married to their late brother, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu. Not only that, she was also asked to prove that her two boys, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu were actually fathered by their brother.

The reason for this war of attrition between Bianca and her brothers-in-law is not far-fetched. Bianca, on behalf of her two children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, had sued her brothers-in-law and her late father-in-law’s company, Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL), over some property which includes No. 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos; No. 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now known as Ojora Road)l No. 32A, Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; No. 30, Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and No. 30, MacPherson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos.Bianca had in a Suit No. LD/1539/2012 filed before Justice Funmilayo Atilade of Lagos High Court, Igbosere, Lagos asked the court to declare that her children are entitled to possession and occupation of all these property. She had, through her counsel, Chris Ezugwu, to declare as illegal the threat by her brothers-in-law to forcefully eject her and her children from the property at No. 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Bianca and her children through their counsel, are also asking the court to restrain the Ojukwu brothers, their agents or privies from interfering with their possession and control of the property.

They said that throughout the period, Late Odumegwu Ojukwu, in his lifetime, was struggling to retrieve the property from the government, his brothers were nowhere to be found. “They never played any role in the struggle nor contributed financially or otherwise to the realization of the struggle.”

But the Ojukwu brothers which includes Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr. Patrick Ojukwu, Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Messrs Massay Udegbe, in their defence through their counsel, George Uwechue (SAN), averred that the subscribers of the OTL (Ojukwu Transport Limited) Memorandum of Association at Incorporation in 1952, were LP Ojukwu and Bertram Chukwuemeka. They added that the Late Odumegwu Ojukwu and Prof. Joseph Ojukwu were later appointed directors in 1953.

They averred further that Odumegwu Ojukwu ceased to be a director of the company, OTL, prior to the Nigerian Civil War and was reappointed director on December 16, 2005.

They alleged that Bianca and her children’s statement of claims contained tissues of lies and distorted facts.

That Bianca who instituted the suit is “being greedy for wanting to hold on to the company’s property.

They also stated that for over 12 years prior to his death, Late Odumegwu Ojukwu moved to Enugu State and since then had not lived at any of the company’s property as allegedly claimed by Bianca and her children.

They further averred that the property being claimed by Bianca and her children belong to OTL and challenged Bianca’s children to show proof of any such agreement their late father had with OTL for him to control and/or manage its property.

They also, in their statement of defence asked Bianca to show proof of legal marriage to the late Biafran warlord, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

They also demanded proof of the paternity of Bianca’s two sons Afamefuna and Nwachukwu.

Bianca children’s counsel, Chris Ezugwu was, however, absent from court on Wednesday, October 23, 2013, when the case was called. This necessitated Justice Atilade to adjourn till December 10, 2013.