*Appeals To NJC, Police, And Government To Reclaim Her Home,Alleges Illegal Eviction Despite High Court Judgment
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Veteran musician Uche Ibeto, popularly known as the Jigida Queen, has cried out over what she described as her unlawful eviction from her family home in Surulere, Lagos, accusing her elder sister and alleged land grabbers of conspiring to defraud her of her late mother’s only property.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, the 70-year-old singer recounted how she was thrown out of her residence at No. 36 Ibezim Obiajulu Street, Surulere, in the early hours of August 15, 2025, by armed policemen, court sheriffs, and thugs enforcing a disputed judgment.
“At my age, being over 70 years, I should be enjoying the dividends of my labour of love as a senior citizen, but that is not the case. I have been thrown out of my only home into the streets by criminal elements using the instrumentality of the law negatively against me,” Ibeto said emotionally.
“They came at 6:00 a.m. and broke into my apartment. They told me they were executing a judgment of the High Court of Lagos State delivered on July 10, 2025, but I was never joined in that suit. Neither I nor our tenants were served any court papers. They dragged me out in my nightwear, stole and damaged my belongings worth over N500 million, including my music works, new studio equipment, and donations from fans meant to help me revive my career. I am left homeless, perching from place to place.”
The eviction, she said, stemmed from a judgment delivered in favour of one Cecil Ezem Osakwe, who claimed to have purchased the property from her sisters, Laura Okoh and Ifeoma Stella Ilodibe.
But Ibeto insisted that her immediate elder sister, Ifeoma, had denied knowledge of any sale or court case, while Laura had refused to answer her calls.
“When I contacted my sister Ifeoma in London, she was shocked and told the court officials on speakerphone to stop what they were doing, that it was illegal. She made it clear she never sold the house nor hired any lawyer to defend her in any suit. Yet they ignored her and threw me into the streets,” she said.
She alleged that the operation was led by lawyer Victor Giwa, acting for Osakwe.
“Victor Giwa was boasting openly that not even the President of Nigeria could stop him from carrying out the execution. Despite all clarifications, he ordered the thugs to throw me out. They sealed up tenants’ apartments and immediately started demolition and illegal construction on the property. This is outright fraud, suppression of facts, and impersonation,” she added.
Her elder sister, Mrs. Ifeoma Stella Ilodibe, who is currently on medical leave in the United Kingdom, confirmed Ibeto’s account in a strongly worded petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Lagos.
“I hereby categorically state that I never signed any documents or gave any consent either to my sister Laura or anyone else to sell our mother’s house in Surulere,” Ifeoma wrote. “I was never aware of any sale transaction or court case. I was shocked when my sister Uche called me to say sheriffs, policemen, and thugs had invaded the house at 6 a.m. They told her the court had taken over the property and began throwing her belongings into the street. I immediately asked Uche to put the call on loudspeaker and told them myself to stop. I instructed her to hire lawyers to defend us.”
She condemned the alleged role of their eldest sister, Laura, describing her as manipulative and driven by greed.
“Laura never cared for our mother when she was alive. She was not on good terms with her until her death. Now, out of nowhere, she is claiming authority over Mama’s property. How can she have the heart to sell our only legacy and throw her own mother’s last born into the street? That house reminds us of our mother, and I will never consent to its sale,” Ifeoma wrote.
“Laura even sold Mama’s cars and withdrew N33 million from her bank account without giving me or Uche a kobo. Now she has gone further by colluding with outsiders to dispossess us of our family home. This is wickedness and greed taken too far.”
Both sisters accused Osakwe and Giwa of being serial land grabbers.
“Everybody knows Cecil Osakwe and Victor Giwa. They use fake court papers and thugs to grab people’s properties. This is not just a family quarrel, it is a crime against humanity and the state,” Ibeto declared.
Ilodibe, in her petition, made specific demands on the authorities, urging action to protect her family’s rights.
“I call on the police to prosecute all those involved in this fraudulent transaction, including those who impersonated me. I also demand that my younger sister Uche be restored to our mother’s property, that all tenants be allowed access to their apartments, and that the illegal construction and demolition be stopped immediately. Justice must be done, and those using fake documents to grab people’s houses must be punished.”
Meanwhile, Ibeto appealed directly to the Lagos State Government, the Inspector General of Police, the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Assembly, and the Nigerian Bar Association.
“I call on all authorities to intervene urgently. The National Judicial Council must investigate how such a judgment was delivered in less than a month, without hearing from all parties. Since August 15, I have been unjustly homeless. My health has been badly affected, and I want to return to my home and my life. Justice must prevail.”
A tenant in the disputed house, who is also a lawyer, Mr. Vincent Okafor, raised concerns over the speed and handling of the case in court.
“We want the public to know what is happening. The city of Lagos State can now look at what is in the e-filing platform and what is in the court file. Where is such a thing done? There are glaring contradictions that make this judgment suspicious,” Okafor said.
He accused one of the claimants in the case, identified as Victor Giwa, of misrepresenting his health condition to the court.
“This is a person who wrote to the court claiming he has a degenerating lumbar condition that makes him unable to appear before the judge. Yet, we saw him here on the 17th of September, shouting, threatening people, and even bragging openly that not even the President of Nigeria could stop him from taking possession. How do you reconcile that with his excuse before the court?” he asked.
Okafor further alleged irregularities in court filings and appearances by lawyers on both sides, describing the process as “a serious crime” and not a mere family quarrel. He also lamented that the rushed judgment had already cost him and other tenants dearly.
He added that the case, filed on June 16 and concluded with judgment on July 10, was delivered with unprecedented speed for a High Court matter, which he described as a red flag in itself.
“In fact, I personally lost a property I had just acquired because of this. The court’s actions created a ripple effect that threw my own investments into jeopardy. It is not only about the sisters fighting over inheritance, it is affecting innocent people who trusted the law to protect them. This is injustice of the highest order.
“When uninformed people dismiss this as a domestic feud, they don’t realise what is at stake. This is not just a family issue; it is a matter of law and justice. What we are witnessing is forgery, manipulation, and abuse of power. If this is allowed to stand, it will embolden others to trample on justice and make nonsense of the judiciary,” he said.
“History of Rivers State Judiciary: A Compendium of Personalities on the Bench.” Authored by Ampim Gogo Blankson, Esq., Deputy Director at the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the Rivers State Judiciary
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