Admin I Tuesday, June 16, 2026
AWKA, Anambra – Mr. Emmanuel Chidi Osakwe has dragged the Registered Trustees of the Catholic Diocese of Awka to court over a disputed property located along Secretariat Road, Awka, Anambra State.
Mr. Emmanuel Chidi Osakwe, a nephew of the late Catholic priest, Monsignor Martin Ezeokoli, was allegedly evicted from a house which he claims was gifted to him by his late uncle during the latter’s lifetime.
The matter came up on Tuesday before the Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka. The suit, marked No. A/355/2025, was brought before Justice Ike Ogu of the Anambra State High Court, Awka Judicial Division.
When the matter was called, Mr. Osakwe was represented by his counsel, Mr. Martin Obi. Neither the Catholic Diocese of Awka nor its legal representatives were present in court.
Following submissions by counsel to the claimant, the court held that proceedings could not continue because there was no documentary proof before it establishing that the originating processes and hearing notice had been duly served on the defendant.
Justice Ike Ogu, presiding over Court One, Awka, stated that in the absence of satisfactory evidence of service on the defendant, the matter could not proceed.
“There is nothing before the court to show that the defendant has been duly served. Consequently, the matter is hereby adjourned to October 27, 2026, and a hearing notice shall be served on the defendant,” the judge ruled.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, counsel to the claimant, Mr. Martin Obi, said the suit concerns properties allegedly bequeathed to his client by his late uncle, Monsignor Martin Ezeokoli.
He explained that the action was instituted against the Registered Trustees of the Catholic Diocese of Awka over ownership and inheritance claims relating to the disputed property, which the claimant maintains was validly gifted and bequeathed to him by the deceased cleric.
Obi further stated that the defendant had failed to enter an appearance since the suit was filed in October 2025, despite what he described as service of court processes and hearing notices.
According to him, the claimant’s legal team had filed a motion urging the court to take judicial notice of the fact that the statutory period prescribed for the filing of a defence had elapsed without any response from the defendant.
He noted, however, that the court observed that proper proof of service must first be established before any further procedural steps could be taken in the matter.
“The case came up before the court for the first time today, and the defendant has not appeared despite being served,” Obi said.
He added that the claimant was asking the court to proceed in accordance with the applicable rules of court, given that the period allowed for the filing of a defence had expired.
Obi also stated that the central issue in dispute is the ownership of the property. According to him, the claimant maintains that the house was lawfully gifted and bequeathed to him by the late Monsignor Ezeokoli, while the Catholic Diocese of Awka is asserting a competing claim of ownership.
He said the court subsequently adjourned the matter to October 27, 2026, for the hearing of the pending motion and for such further orders or directions as the court may deem necessary.
According to him, efforts would continue to ensure proper service and full compliance with procedural requirements before the next adjourned date, adding that the claimant’s legal team remains prepared to proceed once those requirements have been satisfied.
Our correspondent gathered that the Catholic Diocese of Awka had previously evicted Mr. Osakwe, along with other occupants and tenants, from the property which is the subject of the ongoing litigation.