Billionaire Micheal Ibru's children in legal battle over his properties, challenge their paternity

16 children of late business mogul, Olorogun Micheal Ibru who died in September 2016, are currently in a legal battle over their paternity and his multi-billion naira assets.

According to the Nation, the children are fighting for shares in his vast business empire that cuts across hotel, fisheries, schools, real estate, banking, aviation and others.

One of the sons of the late businessman, Oboden Ibru, whose mother is Cecilia Ibru, had on February 8th through his counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde, approached the Igbosere High Court, Lagos, for a declaration, that he and his 15 other siblings are entitled to the estate of their father and that their father's estates must be shared equally.

In a counter-claim, one of the daughters of the deceased, 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.

Co-defendants in the lawsuit filed by Oboden include 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.

Some of the properties that are being fought over 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,  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.

Oboden is also asking the court to appoint him, the seventh defendant, Christiana, first defendant, Oskar and eighth defendant, Jero, as administrators of the Ibru estate and also grant an order directing them to apply to the 16th defendant for the grant of letters of administration for the estate. He also asked the court to approve the appointment of 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.
 Oboden is also seeking an order directing the appointed administrators to divide the assets into 16 equal shares and that same be given to all the 16 surviving children of the late Ibru.

However in a counter-claim, the eighth defendant in the case, Janet Ibru, asked 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.