Justice Christopher Balogun of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, has ordered Mrs Gladys Kanu, one of the three wives of the late former Military Administrator of Lagos and Imo, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, to serve the respondents an amended originating summon within seven days.

The respondents to the suit are the Nigerian Navy, the children and other wives of the deceased.

They are; Kelly Kanu, the Nigerian Navy, Simone Abiona (Nee Kanu) and Andrey Joe- Ezigbo (nee Kanu), Paula Ndidiamaka Kanu and Karen Johnson (Nee Kanu), Jeffery Kanu, Laura Kanu, Stephen Kanu, Josephine Ndubuisi-Kanu (wife) and Christine Kanu (wife).

The trial judge in his ruling ordered that the claimant’s counsel, Mr. Wale Adesokan (SAN) to serve the respondents, amended originating summon within seven days starting from April 11, 2022.

“The respondents are hereby given 14 days to file their responses to the amended originating summon through their counsel,” he held.

The judge, who said that the case had not really started, noted that the only thing the court had been able to do was for the dead to be buried.

He said Adesokan had presented an amended application for the case to fully start. “The Justice of the case is to allow them to amend the originating suit so as to hear the case on its merit.

“It is not only the claimant that has something at stake. Your clients too also have something at stake. I will take the amended originating summon and if you also want to file an amended application, I will also take it because I am going to give everyone fair hearing in this case.”

Earlier, when the case was called, Adesokan told the court that he had a pending application dated March 22 and urged the court to add paragraphs 2b and c in the amended originating summon dated March 7 to the suit.

Counsel to the first, third to the ninth respondents, Mr. O.A. Sodimu, had presented a counter affidavit dated April 5 to oppose the amendment originating summon, adding that the claimant formulated a new case.

Gladys in the suit wants the court to declare her as the only legal wife and sole widow of the deceased.

She claimed to have been with the deceased, living together until his death.

The judge, therefore, adjourned the case to May 12, 2022.