The Lagos State High Court has scheduled a hearing for March 10, 2025, regarding the withdrawal of a joinder application submitted by Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, sons of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
The application, dated December 16, 2024, seeks to retract their previous request to join a property suit involving Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL), originally filed in 2011. The suit, marked LD/794/2011, was initiated by Ogbonna Ojukwu and others against OTL.
In a 2018 judgment delivered by Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, OTL was awarded possession of its Lagos properties, including the property at No. 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi. By July 2022, OTL had executed a warrant of possession for all its Lagos properties.
Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, who claim they were unaware of the original suit, filed to join the case last year, seeking relief from the executed warrant of possession. They argue that excluding them from the case would result in a miscarriage of justice, as their interests are directly affected. The late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was involved in the original suit until his passing in 2011.
During the last hearing for the joinder application on April 22, 2024, representatives from OTL, including Director Dr. P. Ike Ojukwu, estate agent Mr. Massey Udegbe, and lawyer Chief Ifeanyi Okumah, were present. However, Bianca and her sons, along with their legal team, were absent, resulting in an adjournment.
Meanwhile, OTL has reported longstanding issues with rent payments for several properties. These include: 30 Gerard Road, Ikoyi, whose occupants are West African Offshore Limited, reportedly owe 12 years of rent totaling N144 million. Another property is on 32A Commercial Avenue, Yaba which is occupied by Foursquare Gospel Church, which has not paid rent since 2017. Also, 4 Macpherson Road, Ikoyi which has been under police seal since 2015. Another property on 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Road, Ikoyi has been vacant for over two decades. While the property on 13 Ojora Road, Ikoyi is described as having a stable tenant-landlord relationship.
Following a 2022 judgment by Justice A. M. Lawal, OTL harmonized the management of its assets, reaffirmed Massey Udegbe & Co. as its estate agent, and published this decision in national newspapers.
The upcoming court decision on the withdrawal application will determine if Afamefuna and Nwachukwu remain part of the ongoing legal battle over OTL’s properties.
