Court Upholds Right Of Females To Inherit PropertiesIin Imo

An Imo State High Court sitting in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area who ruled on a lawsuit filed by Mrs Regina Ihemadu (Nee Nwimo), the only surviving child of her late father, Mr Imo Ebiringa of Umuelagwa Onitcha in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State whose uncles attempted to share her father’s estate amongst themselves and had partly succeeded, upheld rights of females to inherit properties in Imo.

Mrs Ihemadu who through her counsel, Emperor N. Iwuala filed a suit No. HAM/13/2017 against her uncles including Sunday Uwazie and all members of the Ebiringa family, claimed that her father and direct relations died and soon after their death, her uncles shared her inheritance amongst themselves and sold same to members of the public without her consent.

Justice Ijeoma Agugua who presided over the judgement at the court, upheld rights of females to inherit properties, and also ordered Mrs Ihemadu’s uncles to pay a fine of N7million for sharing her father’s estate amongst themselves soon after her father’s death and without her consent.

Reacting to the judgement, Barr. Iwuala  told newsmen that the judgment is very apt and flows from the constitutional right against discrimination based on sex. He also added that the judgment is only a restatement of the earlier judgment of the Supreme Court, in the celebrated Ukeje case.

‘With this, it is now clear that the age-long custom of disinheriting female children (both married and unmarried) from sharing in their father’s property and estate is now not only null and void, but unconstitutional’ he said.