Jigida Queen petitions police, CJN over eviction from Lagos home amid controversy over family property

Musician Uche Ibeto, also known as the The Jigida Queen, has accused two lawyers and a senior police officer of orchestrating her unlawful eviction from her late mother’s Surulere, Lagos, home on 15 August.

She alleged the eviction followed a Lagos State High Court judgement obtained without her knowledge or that of her tenants.

In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Jigida Queen said the judgement, delivered on 10 July by Judge Adewumi-Oshin in suit number LD/9481GCM/2025, granted ownership of her mother’s one-storey building at 36 Ibezim Obiajulu Street, off Masha Road, Surulele, Lagos, to Cecil Osakwe, who claimed to have purchased it from her sisters, the estate administrators.

“Neither I, nor our tenants, were joined as parties to the suit, nor were we served with any court processes,” she said.

She further alleged that Victor Giwa, one of the lawyers representing Mr Osakwe, led police officers, court sheriffs, and “hired thugs” to seize her personal belongings, studio equipment, musical works, and cash she estimated at over N500 million.

The 70-year-old entertainer also accused Mr Giwa of submitting forged documents, including a falsified contract of sale referencing a certificate of occupancy for unrelated land in Idimu, Lagos. She added that her sister, Ifeoma Ilodibe, one of the estate administrators, denied knowledge of the alleged sale.

She described the eviction as inhumane and accused her eldest sister, Laura Okoh, another administrator of the estate, and her son, Ifeanyin Okoh, of collaborating with the lawyers to remove her.

Alleged police interference

Jigida Queen’s legal representatives, S.O. Onwubualili & Co., wrote to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) on 22 September, alleging unlawful interference in the Zone 2 Police Command’s investigation of the matter.

The letter, shared with PREMIUM TIMES, accused a serving Deputy Inspector General of Police, Benjamin Okolo, of obstructing justice and allegedly aiding the accused parties by stalling the investigation.

According to the letter, the property in question was not included in the letters of administration granted to Jigida Queen’s siblings, which the lawyers said covered only their late mother’s personal estate.

They also maintained that neither Jigida Queen nor her tenants were served with court processes or joined in the suit, raising concerns about alleged violations of due process.

The petition to the police authorities alleged conspiracy, malicious damage to property, forgery, impersonation, large-scale fraud, land grabbing, and threats to the lives of Jigida and her tenants.

The legal team called for urgent intervention by the IGP to protect their client’s rights and safety.

Petition to the judiciary

Jigida Queen also petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), alleging conspiracy, abuse of judicial power, and land grabbing through a judgement she claims was obtained fraudulently.

Her petition questioned how a suit seeking possession and ownership of a property could be filed, heard, concluded, and judgement delivered “in less than one month.”

Her lawyers said they filed a motion on 22 September asking the High Court to set aside its 10 July judgement on the grounds of alleged fraud, misrepresentation, and suppression of facts.

The motion was slated for hearing on 4 November. However, according to her legal team, the judge informed them on the date of the hearing that the case had been transmitted to the Court of Appeal.

In the petition to the CJN and the National Judicial Council (NJC), dated 4 November and received on 11 November, Jigida Queen requested that the Court of Appeal return the case file to the Lagos High Court so her application to set aside the judgement could be heard by a different judge.

The petition also called for an investigation into the speed at which the suit was concluded and the judgement executed, as well as the alleged failure to serve court processes.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Chief Judge of Lagos State and the Executive Secretary of the NJC.

‘I have no place to stay’

Since the eviction, Ms Ibeto (Jigida Queen) said that she has been displaced. She said she faces health challenges, and that her tenants’ properties remain sealed.

She welcomed the ongoing prosecutions of Messrs Giwa and Osakwe at the High Court of the FCT, where they face charges including forgery, unlawful eviction and malicious damage to property belonging to Abuja businesswoman Asabe Waziri.  The case is not related to the Surulere property dispute.

She also accused Mr Giwa of attempting to influence public opinion through “campaigns of calumny” and urged him to face trial.

Reports have shown Mr Giwa is currently facing criminal charges for forgery and impersonation.

Mr Giwa and co-defendant Ibitade Bukola were accused of forging a letter on the letterhead of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Awa U. Kalu, dated 28 June 2024, addressed to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), purportedly calling for Mr Giwa’s arraignment in a separate criminal case.

At their arraignment on 8 October, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mr Giwa has also said the letter in issue was issued within a “legitimate legal relationship,” while Mr Kalu, whose name was allegedly used in the forgery, has denied ever filing a complaint with the police.

Lawyer speaks on purchase of property

Mr Giwa denied wrongdoing regarding the Surulere property.

Speaking via a WhatsApp call with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, Mr Giwa said his client, Mr Osakwe, purchased the property from Mr Okoh, a son of Mrs Okoh, one of the estate administrators.

“My client bought it from the grandson of the late Mrs Ibeto (deceased mother) who lives in London. Before her death, and in the absence of a will, she instructed him to sell the house so the proceeds could be shared among the family.

“She had three biological daughters and two adopted sons,” Mr Giwa said.

According to him, Mrs Okoh, the eldest among the siblings, acted within her legal authority as head of the family.

He said she had the backing of at least one sibling.

“The second one, Ifeoma, also wrote a letter authorising the firstborn to deal with the property as she wishes. The first child can sell the property even without the other children. In law, only the first child can sell,” he claimed, adding that a buyer may still challenge such a sale in court.

He accused Jigida Queen of taking possession of the property documents after their mother died.

Responding to allegations that some estate administrators were excluded, he said the law required only the head of the family—or one estate administrator—to represent the estate.

He also said the judgement that led to enforcement was a consent judgement.

“We didn’t go to court to sell. We had already bought and paid in January. The agreement says that if, after three months, they cannot give possession, we should approach the court,” he said.

According to him, during the court session, Mrs Okoh confirmed signing the agreement.

“The sheriff implemented the judgement. That was all.”

He claimed the ongoing dispute was an attempt to “blackmail” him due to previous accusations by the same woman.

I didn’t consent to sale – Sibling 

But Ifeoma Ilodibe, one of the three siblings who Mr Giwa said consented to the sale of the property, gave a different account

She shared a letter she sent to the Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos, countering Mr Giwa’s claim that she consented to the sale of the property.

In the petition dated 15 September, she alleged that her signature or consent was never obtained for any transaction or court proceedings.

Despite being one of the three surviving children of their late mother, she said she was unaware of any court case or agreement to sell the house and never instructed any lawyer to act on her behalf.

Mrs Ilodibe said she learned of the eviction when Ms Ibeto called her from the property.

She wrote that she spoke with persons identified as sheriffs, police officers, and Mr Giwa the telephone, asking them to stop the eviction, which she said occurred without her knowledge or consent.

Mrs Ilodibe accused Mrs Okoh (the eldest sibling) of attempting to sell the property unilaterally, alleging a pattern of disputes involving their late mother’s assets.

She said Jigida Queen had lived in and maintained the property for more than 50 years and should not have been removed.

She asked the police to restore Jigida Queen to the property, compel those involved to return it “to the way they met it,” and recover losses or damages from the eviction.

She also urged investigators to prosecute anyone found culpable.

When confronted with Mrs Ilodibe’s petition distancing herself from the sale, Mr Giwa insisted that she consented to the sale. Mrs Ilodibe, for her part, maintained her stance that she never did.

Responding to a message from PREMIUM TIMES, Mrs Okoh said she could not speak due to ongoing legal proceedings.

“I am the first daughter and the administrator of the estate of my late mother. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings regarding the alleged misappropriation of estate funds by Uche Ibeto, I am unable to provide any further comment on the matter at this time.

“Please be advised that the family will not be making any additional statements while the matter is before the court,” Mrs Okoh said.

Buyer’s position

Mr Osakwe, who purchased the property, told PREMIUM TIMES via WhatsApp call that he has only made part payment and is ready to request refund due to unanticipated controversy over the transaction.

“I have not completed the transaction yet. We agreed that once I get the documents, I will complete my payment.

“It’s not by force,” he said. “They can return the money. I feel they lied to me. I am willing to collect my money.”

He said the family had informed him that another property in Surulere would instead be sold and the proceeds shared.

Police react

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the police officer handling the case, identified as Ngozi, she declined to comment.

She rather referred our reporter to the zonal police PRO.

Her superior, Deputy Commissioner of Police Bode Fakoye, did not respond to text or WhatsApp messages seeking comments. He also did not answer several phone calls.

Efforts to reach the Zone 2 Police Public Relations Officer were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.