Mrs. Nnena Abiona, daughter of the late former military governor of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, has lamented the embarrassment of the legal action brought by one of her late father’s widows over her burial arrangements as a big show of shame to the family.
Speaking with newsmen, she demurred that her father would be very unhappy with the family legal fight over the late Kanu’s burial plans.
She said it was their plan to bury their father peacefully and give him all the traditional rites of passage as their father was a traditional man, but were taken aback when they were summoned to court, which she said was a rude shock to them.
The daughter of Late Ndubuisi Kanu said that there was no time any member of the family wanted to prevent their father’s wife, Mrs Glady Kanu, from attending her husband’s burial ceremony.
She said they were surprised when their father’s widow dragged them before an Ikeja High Court asking the court to issue an injunction prohibiting other members of the family from threatening her and allowing her to properly prepare for the burial of her husband.
The presiding judge in the suit, after hearing the matter, and with the intervention of the Navy and the Ovim kinsmen of the late people Kanu had to issue orders that would ensure that peace and order are maintained before and during the burial of the late former governor and democracy activist.
It subsequently released the dead body to the Navy for burial.
In order to comply strictly with the orders of the judge, the burial date scheduled to take place on the 16th of October 2021was brought forward to the 15th of October, “for security reasons”.
The judge adjourned the case for a substantive hearing on the matter to the 15th of November 2021.
It will be recalled that Mrs. Gladly Kanu who dragged other members of the family to court gave her reasons for doing so.
She said that her life was threatened by the first son of the late Ndubuisi Kanu, Mr. Kelly Kanu, whose mother was officially divorced by the deceased when he was alive.
She alleged that Kelly went to their family house in the village and take over her matrimonial home she had lived with her late husband for over 27 years they had been legally married.
She also accused Kelly of breaking into their home and changing the keys of the house.
She also alleged that, Jeffrey the second son, Kelly’s younger sibling, who lived with her and his husband when he was alive also broke into their home and equally changed the keys, hence her resort to approaching the court to put things in their proper order in the family.
Gladys said that she was the only legally married wife of the late Ndubuisi Kanu.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy, the Governments of Abia and Imo State have buried the late Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu as instructed by the court, with his family playing the role of a spectator.
Earlier, the Lagos High Court had ordered that the burial of the late Kanu could hold on October 15.
Justice Christopher Balogun had given the order after listening to all parties in the case.
“Having been informed that there are security issues involved in the burial, especially with the upcoming convention of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the earlier date of burial – the 16th of October – as ordered by his brother judge, Justice Babajide Candide-Johnson (now retired), will not be feasible,” he held.
By the joint agreement of all the lawyers and their clients, the court approved Friday, October 15 for the burial of the late military officer in Abia State.
The proceedings lasted for about six hours during which time Justice Balogun listened to all the lawyers, as well as his second wife, Gladys Ndubuisi Kanu, who filed the suit, the first daughter, Simone Nnenna Abiona, other children present in court – Audrey Joe-Ezigbo née Kanu, Paula Ndidiamaka Kanu, Jeffrey Alozie Kanu, Samantha Ndubuisi Kanu, Laura Ndubuisi Kanu, and two elders from Ovim community, the families’ community in Abia State.
He also ordered the Nigerian Navy to ensure a befitting burial for the late rear admiral and make sure the body was protected prior to the burial and for the burial.
The court also directed the navy to prepare the body of late Rear Admiral Kanu in his full regalia and fly his remains from its military cantonment in Ojo, Lagos on Wednesday to the Sam Mbakwe International Airport in Owerri, Imo State for the commencement of the burial rites.
In Owerri, his body shall be identified by the Ada of the family (the first daughter), in accordance with traditional rites after which it would proceed to the Imo State Government House where the body would be received by the governor and the people for the first leg of the ceremony – a lying in state at the Government House Chapel.
Thereafter, the body would be kept intact and moved by the Nigerian Navy to Abia on Thursday for the full burial rites.
The court also directed that all parties should be entitled to participate jointly in the burial with all traditional rites to be performed.
Justice Balogun ordered all parties to maintain and keep the peace before adjourning the substantive case to November 15 for mention.