April 17, (THEWILL) – The last has not been heard about the family crisis rocking the household of the late former military governor of Lagos and Imo States, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Godwin Kanu (retd.) The crisis, which started in 2021 when the former governor passed away on January 13 due to COVID-19 complications, has thrown up some court cases all of which has culminated into his third wife, Gladys Ndubuisi-Kanu amending her original petition to the court asking the Nigeria Navy to calculate and pay the entitlement and benefits of her late husband, into an interest-yielding dedicated account.
Gladys is also seeking to be declared as the only legal wife and sole widow of the deceased, having lived with him until he breathed his last. She also noted that she was married to him for 27 years but was in a relationship with him for 31 years. Respondents to the amended suit are the Nigerian Navy, the children of the deceased and other wives of the deceased. They are Kelly Kanu, the Nigerian Navy, Simone Abiona (Nee Kanu), and Andrey Joe- Ezigbo (nee Kanu). Others are; Paula Ndidiamaka Kanu and Karen Johnson (Nee Kanu), Jeffery Kanu, Laura Kanu, Stephen Kanu, Josephine Ndubuisi-Kanu (wife) and Christine Kanu (wife).
Following her amended petition, a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja ordered Gladys to serve the respondents an amended originating summons within seven days. The respondents are also expected to file in their responses to the amended originating summon through their lawyers within 14 days while the warring parties have been directed to appear in court on May 12, 2022 to deliberate on the matter.
It all began when the family was planning to give the late Kanu a befitting burial in Lagos, Imo and Abia States between October 13 and 15, 2021. However, Gladys filed a lawsuit in an Ikeja High Court against her husband’s first wife, Josephine Kanu, the second wife, Christine Kanu, his older children and the Nigerian Navy. She wanted his body released to her for burial. But Justice Christopher Balogun of the Ikeja High Court ordered the Nigeria Navy not to release the corpse of the late Rear Admiral until the case was resolved. The body was later released and he was buried in October 2021. As the military Governor of Lagos State, Josephine, his second wife, was the first lady but they divorced under the Native Law and Customs of Nigeria. The union produced seven children. In 1993, Kanu married Gladys in a church wedding that was well attended and the two lived together until Kanu passed away in 2021.
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