Judge pledges fair hearing in disputed Ndubuisi Kanu’s estate inheritance

 

LAGOS, Nigeria – An Ikeja High Court on Tuesday ordered Mrs.  Mrs Gladys Kanu, one of the three wives of late former Military Administrator of Lagos and Imo, rtd Rear Adm. Ndubuisi, to serve the respondents an amended originated summon presented to the court within seven days.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the respondents to the suit are the Nigerian Navy, the children and other wives of the deceased.

They are; Kelly Kanu, the Nigerian Navy, Simone Abiona(Nee Kanu) and Andrey Joe- Ezigbo (nee Kanu).

Others are – Paula Ndidiamaka Kanu and Karen Johnson (Nee Kanu), Jeffery Kanu, Laura Kanu, Stephen Kanu,Josephine Ndubuisi-Kanu (wife) and Christine Kanu (wife).

Justice Christopher Balogun in his ruling, ordered that the claimant counsel, Mr Wale Adesokan (SAN) to serve the respondents, amended originating summon within seven days starting from today.

“The respondents are hereby given  14 days to file in their responses to the amended originating summon through their lawyers, Balogun ruled. The judge, who said that the case has not really started, noted that the only thing the court had been able to do was for the dead to be buried.

He said Adesokan had presented an amended application for the case to fully start.

“The Justice of the case is if you allow them to amend the originating suit so as to hear the case on the merit. It is not only the claimant that has something at stake. You clients too also have something at stake.

“I will take the amended originating summon and if you also want to file an amended application, I  will also take it because  I  am going to give everyone fair hearing in this case,” Balogun said.

Earlier in the proceedings, Adesokan had notified the court of a pending  application dated  March 22 and urged the court to add paragraphs  2b and c in the amended originating summon dated March 7 to the suit filed by the claimant.

The counsel to the first, third to the ninth respondents, Mr O.A. Sodiimu, had presented a counter affidavit  dated April 5 to oppose the amendment originating summon, adding that the claimant formulated a new case.

NAN reports that Gladys in a suit marked LD/3685FPM/2021, Gladys is seeking that the Nigerian Navy should calculate the entitlements of the late Kanu into a bank account.

She is also seeking to be declared as the only legal wife and sole widow of the deceased. According to her, she and the deceased were living together until his death. She noted that was married to him for 27 years but was in a relationship with him for 31 years. Balogun adjourned the case until  May 12 for response on the amended summon.