83-Year-Old Nigerian Music Star's Sister Loses Lawsuit Against Police

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Laura Okoh, elder sister to septuagenarian veteran musician Jigida Queen, widely celebrated for her 1988 highlife classic 'Egwu Jigida', has lost a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the police in Lagos State High Court. The 83-year-old music icon had sued the police to stop them from investigating allegations arising from a dispute over her late mother's estate.

According to the Certified True Copy of the judgement shared with PREMIUM TIMES, Mrs Okoh had argued that the police were intimidating and harassing her over disagreements relating to her late mother's property

The dispute centred around a property at No. 36 Ibezim Obiajulu Street, Surulere, Lagos. Mrs Okoh had approached the court alleging that police officers, acting at the instance of her younger sister, Jigida Queen, subjected her to intimidation, harassment, threats of arrest and detention. She asked the court to declare that the actions of the police and Jigida Queen violated her rights to dignity and personal liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. She also sought an order restraining the respondents from further interfering with those rights and requested that they publish an apology in two national newspapers.

But the applicant's sister, Jigida Queen, denied the allegations and maintained that the police were investigating serious criminal complaints she had lodged against her and others. She stated that the dispute stemmed from events surrounding the property, which she argued did not form part of the estate covered by the letters of administration relied upon by Mrs Okoh. According to her, those discoveries prompted her and another co-administrator of the estate to petition the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, requesting a criminal investigation.

The court found that the police were acting on formal complaints alleging fraud, forgery, impersonation and related offences. The judge held that the law empowers the police to investigate such complaints, and that an invitation to assist with an investigation, without proof of actual unlawful arrest, detention, or malicious harassment, does not constitute a violation of fundamental rights.

The court's decision has left Mrs Okoh's family in a difficult situation. As the eldest living sibling, Mrs Okoh had taken it upon herself to manage the family's estate. Her younger sisters, Jigida Queen and Ifeoma Ilodibe, had also been named co-administrators of the estate. But their differing views on how to manage the property have led to disagreements. Mrs Okoh has accused Jigida Queen and Ifeoma Ilodibe of embezzling funds meant for the estate.

The dispute is not just about the property or the money involved, but also about the legacy of their late mother. Mrs Okoh and Jigida Queen are both proud of their mother's achievements as a strong matriarch and pillar of the community. But the court's decision has left them with more questions than answers.

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Mrs Okoh stated that she and her immediate younger sister, Ifeoma Ilodibe, were appointed administrators of their late mother's estate through letters of administration granted in 2014. She alleged that after their mother's death, Jigida Queen took possession of cash, jewellery and property documents belonging to the deceased and later converted rental income from some of the properties. According to Mrs Okoh, efforts to obtain an account of the estate were often followed by police invitations allegedly orchestrated by her sister.

But the police have a duty to investigate criminal complaints, no matter who is involved. And it is not uncommon for family members to disagree over property issues.