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The Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi is embroiled in a court battle with his 85-year-old mother, Mrs Henrietta Fawehinmi and one Ichie Ikenna-Onu over properties in Rivers State owned by the mother.
Professor Fawehinmi, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the University of Port Harcourt and his sister, Oluwafumbi Fawehinmi, had dragged Ichie Ikenna-Onu to a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt for purchasing one of their mother’s properties, with claims that their mother has no legal right to sell the property.
Professor HAKEEM FAWEHINMI and his Sister, OLUWAFUMBI FAWEHINMI who are first and second claimants respectively in the suit claimed that at a material time, their late father, their mother, himself and other of his siblings were made Directors of Riettafa and Company Nigeria Limited and that their mother later “willed” the properties to her five children and appointed Professor Fawehinmi an attorney to her estate.
The UniAbuja VC and his sibling contended that their 85 years old mother, Mrs Henrietta Fawehinmi, lacked the legal right to sell the property, haven willed her properties to her children.
In her defense, the 85-year-old mother, Mrs Henrietta Fawehinmi, asked the court to compel her son and UniAbuja VC, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, to return the original title documents of her properties.
Mrs Fawehinmi, in a statement of defence and application to be joined as a party in the Suit No. PHC/4500/CS/2025 before Justice C. D. Green, stated that the disputed documents pertain to properties located at Orominike Layout, D/Line; 24 Nwachukwu Street, Iboloji Housing Estate, Rumuigbo; 17 Emenike Close, Rumuadaolu; and the Elekahia Housing Estate, all in Port Harcourt.
She argued that the documents were handed over to her son on the condition that she would repay him N82 million, as contained in his letter dated July 10, 2025, and insisted that upon payment, the documents must be returned to her.
She clarified that she revoked the deeds of gift to her children after discovering that the properties had become a source of persistent conflict, rancour, and hostility among them rather than unifying them.
She alleged that her first son abandoned her in her old age and deceptively induced her to transfer the properties to him while she was still alive, without offering care or support, despite her sacrifices, among them funding his education and establishing a hospital for him in Port Harcourt, which she claimed he later sold.
She further alleged that her children, particularly the first and second claimants, whom she sponsored abroad, neglected her welfare and were only interested in fighting over her assets.
Mrs Fawehinmi also accused Professor Fawehinmi of unlawfully removing her as a signatory to her company’s bank account and installing himself as the sole signatory, effectively shutting her out of her own company.
She maintained that all the disputed properties, including plots 178, 179, and 201 at Orominike Layout, D/Line, lawfully belonged to her personally and not to Riettafa and Sons Nigeria Limited or any of her children, maintaining that she was legally entitled to sell the property to Ichie Ikenna-Onu.
She added that she would only halt the sale of her remaining properties if her children reconciled, resolved their long-standing disputes, and began to care for her as their mother.
In his statement of defence, Ichie Ikenna-Onu, the purchaser of one of the properties, said he was unaware of the allegations contained in paragraphs one to 23 of the claimants’ statement of claim and urged the court to dismiss the suit, dismissing it as a “gold-digging exercise.”
