Sixteen children
of late Nigerian businessmen, Chief Olorogun Michael Ibru, have filed suits and
counter suits over the sharing of his multi-billion naira assets.
Ibru died
last September aged 86.
As reported
by The Nation newspaper, one of his
sons, Oboden Ibru, has approached the Igbosere High Court, Lagos, for a
declaration, among others, that he and his 15 other siblings are entitled to
the estate of their father.
In a
counter-claim, one of the late Chief Ibru’s daughters, Janet Ibru, urged the
court to declare that only persons whose paternity are confirmed by a
diagnostics centre in the United States are entitled to an equal share of the
estate.
Oboden’s
suit was filed February 8 by Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) but has not been
assigned to a Judge.
The
defendants are:
Oskar Ibru,
Peter Ibru, Emmanuel Ibru, Gloria Ibru, Elaine Ibru-Mukoro, Elvina Ibru, Mamemo
Ibru, Janet Ibru, Obaro Ibru, Vivi Ibru-Stankov, Edesiri Ibru, Christiana
Ibru, Jero Ibru, Vikwesiri Ibru, Gabriel
Ibru and the Probate Registrar, High Court of Lagos State.
The claimant
is seeking an order declaring that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of
January 2, 2001 is valid as to the distribution by way of gift of the late
Ibru’s assets to both “Ovuone” and “Ivetu”.
He asked the
court to declare that the properties listed in the MOU belong in their entirety
to “Ovuone” being gifted jointly and several times to “Ovuone” in the lifetime
of the late Chief Ibru.
Such
properties include:
No. 1,
Marine Road, Apapa, Lagos; 47, Marine Road, Apapa; 49, Marine Road, Apapa;
52, Marine
Road, Apapa; 5,7,9 Emotan Road, Apapa; 3,5,7 Ladipo Oluwole, Apapa;
Daska House;
Blomfield Court; 33, Michael Ibru Boulevard;
6, Louis
Solomon Close, Victoria Island, Lagos and 5/7, Queens Barracks Road, Lagos.
Others are:
No. 20,
Queens Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos; 6, Kensington Park Gardens, London; Starcross Farm;
Hillcrest
Apartment; Zabadne Plot, Abuja; Maitama Plots, Abuja; Maroko Plots, Lagos;
7, Randle
Close, Apapa, Lagos; all shares in Oceanic Bank;
Oteri
Holdings Limited’s shares in Minet Nigeria Limited;
Oteri’s
shares in Ibachem and the portion of Ibafon land occupied by Ibachem and Ovwian
land.
The claimant
is also seeking a declaration that the judgment delivered by Justice John Tsoho
of the Federal High Court, Lagos on April 17, 2014 remains valid and
subsisting, having not been set aside by any court of competent jurisdiction.
Oboden also
asked for an order appointing himself, seventh defendant, Christiana, first
defendant, Oskar and eighth defendant, Jero, as administrators of the Ibru
estate and an order directing them to apply to the 16th defendant for the grant
of letters of administration for the estate.
An order of
the court appointing Messrs. PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited to conduct a
forensic audit of the shareholdings and assets, whether real or personal,
belonging to the estate of the late Ibru in Oteri Holdings and any other
company in Nigeria or anywhere such may be located, discovered or found in the
world and submit such report to the Registrar of the court within 90 days of
the order and the cost of such exercise be paid by the administrators so
appointed herein.
The claimant
is seeking an order directing the administrators to divide the assets into 16
equal shares and that same be given to all the 16 surviving children of the
late Ibru.
But in a
counter-claim, eighth defendant Janet urged the court to declare that all
matters pertaining to the estate be adjudicated in Nigeria as well as a
declaration that she is entitled to a refund of all expenses, including the
$48,000 incurred by her in defending the law suits of the second defendant.
Furthermore,
she is seeking an order of the court directing the administrators of the estate
of the late Ibru to refund to her, the expenses incurred in taking care of the
late Ibru during the final year of his life.
Source: The
Nation
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