By Joseph Egbeocha
Mr Emmanuel Chidi Osakwe has taken the Catholic Diocese of
Awka to court over the ownership of a disputed property in Awka, insisting the
building was legally given to him by his late uncle before his death.
The
legal battle, which is now before an Anambra State High Court, has opened a
fresh chapter in a dispute over a property located on Seaman Avenue, off
Secretariat Road in Awka.
Osakwe,
who was recently evicted from the property, is asking the court to declare him
the rightful owner. According to his claim, the property was handed over to him
during the lifetime of his late uncle, Monsignor Martin Ezeokoli.
The
suit was filed against the Registered Trustees of the Catholic Diocese of Awka,
whom he believes have no legal right to take possession of the property.
When
the matter came before Justice Ike Ogu on Tuesday, proceedings were brief as
the case could not move forward as expected.
There
was no appearance by representatives of the Diocese in court, a development
that immediately drew attention. The judge also raised concerns about documents
relating to the service of the court processes on the defendant.
Because
the court was not fully satisfied that all the required paperwork had been
properly filed, Justice Ogu adjourned the matter until October 27. He further
directed the court bailiff to ensure all relevant documents concerning service
were placed in the case file.
Speaking
after the hearing, counsel to the claimant, Barrister Martin Obi, maintained
that the Diocese had already been served with the originating summons when the
suit was filed in October 2025.
He
also stated that the defendant received notice of the latest court sitting but
neither appeared in court nor filed any response to challenge the claims made
by his client.
Despite
the delay, Obi expressed confidence that the procedural issues identified by
the court would be resolved before the next hearing date.
With
both ownership and possession of the property now under judicial scrutiny,
attention will shift to the October sitting, where the court is expected to
take a deeper look at the competing claims surrounding the disputed Awka
property.
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