Court to rule on Debe Ojukwu’s burial rites suit

A Federal High Court, Lagos has fixed January 10, 2014 for judgment on the suit filed by Debe Ojukwu seeking N100m damages for being excluded from the burial rites for the late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

Debe, claiming to be the first born of the late Odumegwu-Ojukwu, asked Justice Okon Abang to award the damages against some members of the deceased’s family, who he alleged had input in depriving him the right to participate in the burial rites.
According to him, his exclusion from the funeral and an alleged threat to his life by the family members during the meetings preceding the burial all amounted to a breach of his fundamental rights for which he is claiming the N100m damages.
The family members, who are the respondents in the suit, include the deceased’s wife, Bianca, and Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is named as the first son in the deceased’s Will.
Also among the respondents are Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, the Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Muktar, and Deputy Commissioner of Police Anambra State.