Rev Father Ezekiel John, a Catholic Priest, is facing a legal battle in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He is accused of improperly sharing the assets of late Justice Moses Abubakar Bello.
The plaintiff, Ann Eniyamire, the daughter of the former President of the Customary Court of Appeal in FCT, has filed a lawsuit against the priest and another person. She is seeking N500 million in exemplary damages and claiming 11.11% of her late father’s properties and estates.
Eniyamire, the youngest of eight children of the deceased judge, appeared before Justice M.A Madugu to assert her rights as stipulated in her late father’s will.
The lawsuit, marked CV/667/2024, alleges that Eniyamire was not given her rightful share by the executors of her father’s will, Reverend Father Ezekiel John and another individual.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Barrister Yahuza Mahraz, argued that the defendants deviated from the late judge’s instruction of an 11.11% sharing formula, opting instead for a 4.16% distribution.
Eniyamire, seeking 38 reliefs, is requesting the court to rectify the alleged disparities, remove the defendants as executors, and restore her rightful 11.11% share of her father’s properties.
Among her prayers, she requested the court to declare her entitlement to 11.11% of her father’s assets and stocks, demand an account of estate management from the defendants, and award her N500 million as general damages.
During the recent court session, Mahruz informed the judge that the case was ready for hearing. In response, the defendant’s counsel, Adewale Adegboyega, raised a preliminary objection questioning the lawsuit’s validity.
The judge decided to consolidate the preliminary objection with the main case and scheduled a definitive hearing for June 4, 2024.