Late Ndubuisi Kanu’s second wife wants court recognise offspring as estate heirs

Mrs Josephine Ndubuisi-Kanu, one of the widows of retired Rear Adm. Ndubuisi Kanu, a former Military Administrator of Lagos and Imo, on Tuesday asked an Ikeja High Court to recognise her children as heirs to the estate of their father.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Josephine, through her counsel, Mr Ben Ediowere, asked that all the records of the court should reflect that she was wife to Kanu.

“She also has two children from the union who are entitled to the estate,” the counsel said.

Responding, Justice Christopher Balogun asked if Josephine and her late husband were married under the Matrimonial Causes Act.

Ediowere responded in the negative.

The judge said that the Act recognised only one wife.

Balogun, however, said that under the law, the children of the union would be entitled to the estate.

Also, Josephine’s counsel informed the court that Kanu’s other wife, Gladys, filed a suit in Abia over the estate.

“This court has no jurisdiction over landed property in Abia State,” the judge responded.

Counsel to Gladys, Mr John Duru, said that he had filed a writ on behalf of his client, asking the Nigerian Navy to pay the deceased’s entitlements as a high-ranking officer.

Earlier, Balogun expressed surprise that Kanu’s family members were filing various applications through their counsel over the estate.

“After sorting out the issues with the burial of the former Governor of Lagos, I was expecting that on subsequent court dates, you will be filing terms of the settlement.

“However, I am not ordering that you should go for settlement, it is only advice. If you cannot settle, we will have to proceed to trial.”

The judge adjourned the case until Jan. 31 for mention.

NAN reports that Kanu died on Jan. 13 at the age of 77. Following his passing, there was a family dispute about how the funeral should be conducted.

Gladys filed a suit against her stepchildren, the Nigerian Navy and Josephine, seeking to be allowed to participate in Kanu’s burial rites.

The respondent to the suit are Kelly Kanu, Nigerian Navy, Simone Abiona (Nee Kanu), Andrey Joe-Ezigbo (nee Kanu), Paula Kanu and Karen Johnson (Nee Kanu).

The others are Jeffery Kanu, Laura Kanu, Stephen Kanu and Josephine Ndubuisi-Kanu.

During proceedings on Oct. 11, Balogun gave an order on how the funeral rites of the late military administrator should be conducted.

Addressing the court then, Gladys had described herself as Kanu’s only legal wife. She said that she and the deceased were co-habiting until his death.

“We wedded legally in the church, I was married to him for 27 years but I was with him for 31 years,” she said. (NAN)