By Tony Edike

The long-running property dispute involving Bianca Ojukwu and Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) has taken a fresh turn following the demolition of a property at 4 Macpherson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos, and what the company describes as ongoing unauthorised construction on the site.

In a petition dated August 20, 2026 and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), OTL called for the immediate cessation of activities at the property and its return to the company pending the resolution of outstanding court proceedings.

The company said the property was taken over on May 1, 2025, when officers from Zone 2, Lagos, accompanied by lawyers representing Bianca Ojukwu, identified in the petition as Omeye and Duru, took over the premises.

Ongoing construction at the site

OTL alleged that the police action was based on what it described as “false claims” made by Bianca Ojukwu and her lawyers.

According to the company, the property had previously been the subject of litigation and enforcement proceedings. OTL said it had, pursuant to a 2018 judgment by Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, obtained and executed a warrant on the properties in 2022.

The company further stated that it subsequently commenced an appeal process against the 2022 judgment of Justice A.M. Lawal and served the relevant stay processes.

OTL said that despite the unresolved legal proceedings, the property at Macpherson Avenue was demolished and construction subsequently commenced on the site.

OTL’s fresh petition to IGP

In the August 2026 petition, Ojukwu Transport Limited, said it had previously petitioned the IGP on August 22, 2025, with a reminder in January 2026, seeking the return of the property.

The company said that its earlier complaints had not been responded to, while activities at the property had continued.

A new structure under construction at the site

“OTL, the owner of the property, discovered that the same property taken over by police with no response to our previous petitions/demands had been demolished and construction now ongoing,” the company stated in the petition.

It consequently asked the IGP to urgently intervene by stopping all activities on the property and removing persons allegedly occupying or working on the premises.

The company also requested that the property be returned to it while the outstanding court issues are allowed to run their course.

“Criminality and abuse of power should not be condoned,” the petition stated.

Earlier police petitions

OTL said its initial petition in August 2025 was prepared by Chief O. Ugolo, SAN, on the instructions of Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Jnr, whom the company identified as head of the Ikemba branch of the family as well as a shareholder and director of OTL.

The company maintained that Bianca Ojukwu and her sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, are not shareholders or directors of OTL.

A separate petition was also reportedly submitted to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, in September 2026, specifically concerning the alleged demolition and ongoing construction at the Macpherson Avenue property.

OTL alleged that the ongoing development was taking place with the knowledge and protection of police personnel.

However, these allegations have not been independently established in the materials made available to The Advocate.

Contempt proceedings

OTL said Bianca Ojukwu and her sons had earlier, in 2024, applied for Form 49 contempt proceedings before Justice Lawal.

The company also alleged that proceedings had suffered delays because the case file earlier requested by Bianca’s lawyers was unavailable or had not been returned to court on two consecutive occasions.

Other properties involved

According to OTL, the matter before Justice Lawal includes, in addition to 4 Macpherson Avenue :

* 30 Gerrard Road, Ikoyi
* 29 Oyinkan Abayomi, Ikoyi
* 13 Ojora, Ikoyi
* 32 Commercial Avenue, Yaba

OTL maintains that it is the owner of the properties.

OTL demands return of property

OTL described the alleged demolition and construction as a “blatant and provocative disregard for the rule of law” and accused a serving federal government minister and her lawyers of abuse of office and power.

Those allegations are OTL’s position and have not been independently established.

The company is demanding that the alleged construction be stopped, all persons allegedly occupying the property be removed and the property returned to OTL pending the conclusion of the court proceedings.

The latest development is another chapter to the long-running legal dispute with Ojukwu Transport Limited.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has disclosed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar asked him to persuade Peter Obi to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and accept the position of his running mate in the 2027 presidential election.

Babachir Lawal made the disclosure in an interview with Diaspora Digital Media while recounting events surrounding the opposition negotiations that preceded the eventual divergence of the Atiku and Obi camps.

According to him, Atiku personally contacted him and gave him the task of approaching Obi with the proposal.

“Atiku called me and told me that he wanted to work with me. He gave me a mission to convince Peter Obi to join the ADC and serve as his vice president,” Lawal said.

He said Atiku’s proposal included an arrangement under which the two would serve for four years and subsequently pursue a constitutional amendment to create a single six-year presidential term, which Obi would then benefit from.

“He explained that during their four-year term, they would amend the Constitution to a single six-year term, which Obi would benefit from. I went to Obi with this proposal, but Peter Obi said he was not interested,” he added.

Lawal’s account has, however, been disputed by Obi, who said he could not have rejected an offer that was never made to him.

The disclosure comes amid continuing political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Lawal had earlier resigned from the ADC in June 2026, alleging irregularities in the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its candidate. Atiku’s camp rejected the allegations.

Lawal subsequently joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in September and declared support for the party’s Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket. (Nigerian Tribune)

…Unveils 25-year plan to sustain transformation beyond individual administrations

The Enugu State Government has unveiled a 25-year development plan aimed at ensuring that the state’s ongoing transformation outlives individual administrations, with Governor Peter Mbah declaring that the government’s focus is shifting from simply delivering projects to building strong institutions and achieving lasting improvements in the lives of citizens.

Mbah made the declaration at the 2026 Enugu State Global Goals Week Symposium, held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, with the theme, “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation.”

Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state’s development agenda was being deliberately aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that investments in infrastructure, human capital and critical services produced measurable and enduring impact.

He said the administration had continued to prioritise investments in education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, water, technology, security and other critical sectors, stressing that the projects were not ends in themselves but part of a broader strategy to build systems capable of sustaining development over the long term.

“Our objective is not merely to execute projects, but to build systems and institutions capable of delivering enduring development and ensuring that the transformation we are driving today is sustained beyond the tenure of any single administration,” Mbah said.

He said the 25-year development plan would provide continuity, guide long-term investments, strengthen institutions, expand economic opportunities, improve human capital and promote inclusive development across the state.

Mbah noted that the state’s commitment to the SDGs was reflected in the spread of development interventions across the 260 electoral wards, particularly through the Smart Green Schools and Primary Healthcare Centres.

He assured that the government would continue to strengthen institutions, improve service delivery and put in place mechanisms to sustain the development gains achieved under the administration.

In a welcome address, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Enugu State SDGs Focal Person, Onyinye Akubuilo-Okpalanma, said the state’s transformation must remain people-centred, inclusive and sustainable.

She said government programmes should be judged not simply by the number of projects completed or funds spent, but by their impact on residents, the opportunities created and the communities strengthened.

“The success of government programmes should not be measured only by the number of projects completed or the amount of money spent, but by the extent to which those interventions improve the daily lives of our people, expand opportunities and strengthen communities,” she said.

Akubuilo-Okpalanma called for stronger community participation, continuous monitoring, reliable data and greater transparency in public finance and project implementation. She also urged greater attention to vulnerable groups and sustained investment in education, primary healthcare and environmental protection.

She called on development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the private sector and community leaders to work with government to sustain development gains, stressing the importance of continuity, institutional memory and long-term planning.

“Enugu’s transformation will be judged not only by the projects visible today, but also by the quality of institutions, opportunities and services available to future generations,” she said.

In a keynote address titled “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation,” former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jnr., commended the scale and pace of public investment in the state over the past three years.

Nweke said the Mbah administration had reported more than 1,500 kilometres of roads constructed or reconstructed, over 7,000 classrooms and 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres.

He also cited the 2025 budget, in which ₦837.9 billion, representing 86 per cent of the budget, was allocated to capital expenditure, while ₦320.6 billion, representing more than one-third of the total budget, was allocated to education.

He stressed that improved domestic revenue mobilisation was essential to sustaining ambitious development, noting that the financial capacity to fund projects, maintain public assets and support institutions was critical to long-term transformation.

“Projects can transform places, but strong institutions are necessary to ensure that the transformation endures,” Nweke said.

He identified five priorities for sustaining Enugu’s development: linking investments to clearly defined problems and measurable outcomes; embedding the SDGs in planning and budgeting; measuring outcomes rather than expenditure alone; providing for the maintenance of public assets from the outset; and strengthening institutions, professional capacity and accountability mechanisms.

In separate goodwill messages, the UNICEF Field Office, Enugu representative, Juliet Chiluwe; the Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Rt. Hon. Paul Nnajiofor; and Amb. Amaka Nweke commended the state’s development efforts and emphasised the need for inclusive, accountable and sustainable development that would continue to benefit present and future generations.

The event brought together government officials, development partners, traditional and community stakeholders, civil society representatives and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among other participants.