Family tussle: Court rules on Ojukwu’s suit October 7

A Federal High Court in Lagos will on October 7 rule on an application filed by Chief Debe Ojukwu, for alleged breach of his fundamental human rights.
Ojukwu, who claims to be late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s first son, on October 5, 2012 filed a suit, seeking an order of court restraining his siblings from threatening his life.
He joined, Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu, Patrick Ojukwu, Patricia Ojukwu and Magaret Ojukwu, as co-defendants.
The others defendants are: Inspector General of Police; Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Muktar; and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Police Command, Mike Okoli.
When the case was mentioned on Tuesday, defence counsel, George Uwechue, informed the court that the defence had duly served its counter affidavit on the applicant as directed by the court.
This was confirmed by the applicant, Ojukwu, who is appearing personally as counsel in his case.
The presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, however, said he would not be able to conclude with the ruling before the annual vacation.
Abang, therefore, adjourned the case to October 7.
The applicant brought the suit and urged the court to declare that the threat to life by the respondents amounted to a violation of his rights.
He avers in his originating motion that since his birth as first and eldest surviving son of late Odumegwu-Ojukwu, he had been poorly treated by his family.
Ojukwu said that the respondents had beckoned on him to come and oversee the management of Ojukwu Transport Limited, owned by their late father, Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
The applicant said that he had managed the venture effectively with his expertise, until the death of his father, when things began to “fall apart” with him.
He said he was suddenly informed by the respondents to leave the company, which he claimed, he had been handling so well.
The applicant said since he filed the suit, the respondents had continued to harass and threaten his life asking him to withdraw the suit.
Ojukwu added that as a result, he was even denied his right to perform the traditional dust-to-dust funeral rites during his father’s burial.
He is, therefore, claiming N100 million as exemplary damages against the respondents for breach of his fundamental rights.