An Enugu State High Court has dismissed a suit initiated by the late Debe Ojukwu against Bianca Ojukwu, widow of the late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.
Debe had gone to court challenging the authenticity of Ojukwu’s will, claiming that he was the Biafran leader’s first son and should be included in the will.
Debe further claimed that Ojukwu’s will was tampered with and sought a court order restraining Bianca from interfering with the administration of Ojukwu’s estate and a declaration that Ojukwu died without writing any will. He also claimed entitlement to letters of administration of Ojukwu’s estate.
Ojukwu died on November 26, 2011. His wife, Bianca, who was the first defendant in the case, as well as James Ezike, the second defendant, were named in Ojukwu’s will as trustees and executors of his estate.
Court upholds Bianca, children’s rights to Ojukwu’s property, entitlements
Debe brought the matter the court in 2013 challenging the validity of Ojukwu’s will.
Debe died in 2018 while the matter was still pending in the court, but his two daughters, Nene Grace and Obianuju Sarah, applied for substitution in the suit which was allowed by the court.
Delivering judgement on the matter on Wednesday, Justice A. O. Onovo held that from all the evidence presented before the court, the plaintiff was not able to prove that he was acknowledged by Ojukwu in the course of his lifetime, as his biological son.
According to the judge, “It is the prerogative of a man to recognise a child born out of wedlock as his child.”
