Anambra Court adjourns 2 siblings’ fight over landed property to 17 Nov

Phil Okose, Onitsha

An Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State three-man customary court panel led by Stella Odozie, has adjourned to 17 November 2026, a case of ownership of landed property between two siblings, Obinna Arinze (elder brother/plaintiff) and Kenneth Arinzen (junior brother/defendant).

The court adjourned after hearing from the last witness to the plaintiff, Benjamin Ifeanyichukwu Ezeanya, (chairman of Umuezeana village), stating that on 17 November 2026 it will commence hearing from witnesses of the defendant.

Recall that second to the last witness to the plaintiff, Anene Agwuncha told the court that in his Nnobi community, anybody that finances the burial ceremony of a deceased man takes the deceased’ property if he (deceased) has no male child.

Agwuncha disclosed this when he was being grilled in the witness box by both counsel to Obinna Arinze, (plaintiff) Elder N. L Emejulu and C.U Chukwurah, counsel to Kenneth Arinze

(defendant)

over ownership of the property of their late eldest brother (first son) Samuel Arinze, who had no male child but a girl who has just gotten married.

Agwuncha explained further that it was Obinna Arinze alone that financed the burial ceremony of their late eldest son, Samuel and as such should own Samuel’s property as demanded by Nnobi custom and tradition.

Asked by counsel to the defendant if in Nnobi Mkpuke (mother’s house) belongs to the last male child, Agwuncha responded in the affirmative but added that where the last male child had his share of the father’s property such does not arise as it is in the present case.

Asked further by the counsel to the defendant if he, Agwuncha was aware that those living in Chad Republic brought money and gave it to Obinna for the burial of Samuel ceremony, Agwuncha said he was not aware of that.

Explaining further. Agwuncha disclosed that Kenneth sold all his share of landed property and now came to claim the Mkpuke

When asked by the defendant’s counsel again if he (Agwuncha) was aware that their mother,  late Grace Arinze, personally built the controversial Mkpuke and handed it over to Kenneth Arinze, as the last born (male), Agwuncha said he was not aware.

Recall that the court had earlier physically inspected and acquitted itself with the land in dispute which belonged to the late eldest son, Samuel Arinze.

When the matter came up earlier on 12 May 2026, for hearing, the plaintiff, Obinna Arinze told the court that they were four boys of the same parents, and named them to include, Samuel Arinze (first son)

Gozie Arinze (second son) Obinna Arinze (third son) and Kenneth Arinze, (fourth son), but that the first and second sons had died.

Continuing Obinna told the court that the first son had only a female child while the second son, Gozie, had male and female children.

Asked by his counsel, Emejulu  what he wants, Obinna told the court that it is his right to inherit the property of late Samuel as demanded by Nnobi customs and tradition as one who financially sponsored the burial ceremony of Samuel and as next in seniority since both Samuel and Gozie (his elders), had died.

He disagreed with the counsel to the defendant, C U. Chukwural who put it to him that he, Obinna, only sponsored the financial cost of the coffin and ambulance fee of late Samuel stating that every other expenditure was Joint efforts between their late mother, Grace and Kenneth.

Obinna told the court that the claim by his sibling, Kenneth, that their late mother, Grace Arinze, built and handed over Mkpuke to Kenneth as last born, was false 

He stated that there was nothing like Mkpuke within the land in dispute  and that Kenneth had inherited his own share of their father’s landed property outside the disputed land. 

Asked by the counsel to the defendant if he agrees that in Igbo land that as first son inherits the Obi of his father that the last born (male child) also inherits the mother’s Mkpuke, he agreed but maintained that such does not exist in the disputed property.