At Last, It’s Happy Times for Bianca Ojukwu

The concept of wills and inheritance has caused a lot of trouble for people in different parts of the world. Nigeria is no different and even the family of the late Igbo leader,  Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, is not exempted. Thankfully, it seems as if Ojukwu’s family troubles have come to an end and his widow, Bianca, can rest easy now.

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has helped to settle the matters regarding the properties left behind by Ojukwu after his passing in 2011. Tasked with reconciling the man’s family, the court judged that Bianca was the legitimate heir of the Ojukwu fortune. Compared to her, the other members of the extended Ojukwu clan had little reason to inherit anything.

The court’s judgement came after it had carefully scrutinised the matter. The bone of contention is that after Ojukwu passed, his brothers decided to take over his properties. Bianca, on behalf of her sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu Ojukwu, contested their claims to the properties. And that was how the issue has remained a source of shame for the entire Ojukwu clan and others that cared for the legacy of the Igbo leader.

It became very clear much later that the matter would not be easily settled when Bianca revealed that her brothers-in-law had attempted to claim her matrimonial home in Lagos. Moreover, this attempt was allegedly carried out while the Igbo leader was still alive, although he was hospitalised in London at the time. And when he eventually passed, the Ojukwu brothers reportedly made firmer moves to claim the building and other properties of the Igbo leader in Lagos.

But everything is settled now. Unless the Ojukwu brothers make new moves in court, the Lagos High Court has assigned all the properties to the possession of Bianca and her boys. Thus, the woman can rest now and help her children grow to continue the legacy of their father.