A High Court, sitting in Enugu on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, ruled in favour of Bianca, widow of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in a suit instituted by Chief Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu who had approached the Court seeking to be declared the first son of the late Dim Ojukwu.

The plaintiff had also sought an order restraining the defendant, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu from interfering with the administration of the estate of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu as well as a declaration that the latter died intestate. He also claimed entitlement to letters of administration of the late Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s estate.

The Biafra leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu died on November 26, 2011. His wife, Bianca, who is the first defendant, as well as Mr James Ezike, the second defendant, had been named within his will, as trustees and executors of his estate.

This matter was brought before the court in 2013 challenging the validity of the late Ojukwu’s will by the plaintiff, Chief Debe Odumegwu-Ojukwu who though claiming to be the first son of the deceased, the late Ojukwu did not mention or acknowledge in his will as his son.

The issues before the court presided over by the Hon.Justice A.O. Onovo of the Enugu High Court, Enugu Judicial Division were; whether from the evidence adduced before the court, the plaintiff had adduced enough evidence to establish that he was a son of the deceased and had been acknowledged as such by the deceased in his lifetime; whether the deceased’s will was properly and validly made, and whether the plaintiff, and by extension the children of the plaintiff were entitled to benefit from the estate of the deceased, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The plaintiff, Debe Ojukwu died in 2018 while the matter was still pending in court. His two daughters, Nene Grace and Obianuju Sarah applied for substitution in the suit which, though challenged by counsel to the defendants, Messrs Emeka Onyemelukwe and Ngozi Abafor, was allowed by the court.