Debe not Ojukwu’s son, Ikemba’s brother tells court

Brother to Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu – Lotanna Ojukwu has told a Lagos High Court that one Chief Debe Odimegwu Ojukwu, is not his late brother’s son. Debe had filed an application seeking the leave of court to enforce his fundamental human rights.
Lotanna in a 22-paragraph affidavit deposed in a Lagos High Court stated that Debe was never a grandson to his own father, Sir Louis Ojukwu. “That the applicant to the best of my knowledge as well as to the Ojukwu family is not and has never been a grandchild of the late Sir L. P. O. Ojukwu,” he said.
Debe had sued Ojukwu Transport Company (OTL) asking the court to enforce his fundamental human rights. Joined in the suit are Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Emmanuel Ojukwu, an engineer; Lotanna, Bianca Ojukwu, Patricia Ojukwu, Mrs Margaret Mogbo (nee Ojukwu), inspector general of police, former commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Ibrahim Muktar and Mike Okoli, deputy commissioner of police, Anambra State.

The applicant in his originating motion sought the court to declare that the alleged threats by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents during a meeting with the applicant in Lagos to maim or kill him if he does not stop interfering with the management of properties owned by OTL (first respondent) violated his right to life as guaranteed by the constitution.
He also wanted a declaration that his denial and exclusion by the respondents from performing the dust-to-dust funeral rites during the burial of his father, Emeka Ojukwu was unconstitutional, illegal and wrong. According to him, such act violated his fundamental rights to the dignity of his person and freedom from discrimination as guaranteed by the constitution.
He also sought a declaration that the alleged action by officers of the 9th and 10th respondents to forcibly prevent him from entering his deceased father’s house thereby preventing him from performing the final dust-to-dust funeral rites of his deceased father was unlawful and violation of his constitutional and fundamental right. In his 57-paragraph affidavit, Debe said he was a bona fide member of Ojukwu family born to Emeka Ojukwu of Umudim Nnewi, Anambra State and his wife Margaret in August 3, 1956.
He averred that he was having a flourishing career in the Nigerian Police Force when his service was suddenly truncated at the instance of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents who came begging him to go and manage OTL on their behalf even though they did not contribute anything to his upbringing. “That all the children and grand children of the founder of the first respondent had enjoyed full care, attention, nurture and qualitative education at the expense of the estate as stipulated by the said founder, late Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, but were denied me by the respondents till date,” he stated.
Lotanna in his response denied the allegations and described the application as misconceived and replete with falsehood, adding that the whole Ojukwu family was not aware of any Margaret who had ever been the wife of the late Emeka Ojukwu.
“That in further answer to the above more particularly paragraph 34 of the affidavit in support of motion, it is on record that the applicant who was given some of the properties of the first respondent to manage for 12 years commencing from 1995 to 2007 did not make any returns to the first respondent. The first respondent decided not to renew the management agreement it had with the applicant. The applicant had instituted suit No. LD/794/2011 against the first respondent and some of its directors.
The suit is still pending in the court as at date,” he countered, adding that the issue of being the first son of late Emeka Ojukwu and performing the burial rites were before a Lagos High Court where the applicant was asking the court to declare that he was the eldest son of the late Emeka Ojukwu.