Justice Christopher Balogun of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has ordered the Nigerian Navy to convey the body of the late retired Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu from Lagos to Imo and hand it over to the state government prior to the burial.
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The judge gave the order after six hours of proceeding of hearing grievances between the deceased wife, Chief Gladys Ndubuisi Kanu, and the children.
Nigerian Navy was directed not to release the body of the late former governor of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu to anybody in Lagos.
According to the judge, once there is a contention, it means an interloper can kidnap the body, noting that the court is bound to make an order to safeguard the deceased body.
The judge, therefore, directed the Navy to make arrangements for the transportations of the body from Ojo Cantonment morgue to Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, and fly the body to Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State, where it will be identified by the first daughter, Ada and received by Imo State Government before taking to his country home, Ohoroho Ovim.
“The Navy will fly the body of the deceased. I will not allow anybody to disintegrate the body of the ex-governor. We are not going to lose that body. It must not be kidnapped.
“When the body gets to Owerri, Imo State, the government official will then receive the body.”
He also ordered that all respected parties shall be entitled to partake in the burial as required by the customs.
After asking all parties to maintain peace during the burial programs, the court adjourned the substantive case till November 15, 2021, for mention.
The deceased wife, Chief Gladys Ndubuisi Kanu instituted the charges against the children and family to allow her to partake in the funeral rites.
There was a mild drama in court over the Igbo tradition regarding who followed the body from the mortuary in Ojo, Lagos. It took the judge hours to listen to each of the party’s grievances.
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