Controversy Trails CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Over Allegations Of Locking Married Man’s Wife Out Of Their Abuja Estate
A widow, Grace Wesley, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in an ongoing dispute over the estate of her late husband, Edirin Jerry Wesley, accusing Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor Emem Nnana Usoro of allegedly withholding his personal belongings, vehicles and landed properties.
The petition, reportedly supported by members of the deceased’s family, raises concerns over access to the late businessman’s assets and the ownership arrangements surrounding a five-hectare parcel of land in Kagini, Abuja.
According to the petition, the family has been unable to recover several items allegedly belonging to the deceased, including a personal safe, a Range Rover Autobiography, a Hilux jeep, Toyota Corolla cars, office equipment, gym equipment, furniture and other household possessions.
The list also includes two British passports and Nigerian passports belonging to the deceased.
The petitioners further claim that several properties across the country, collectively valued at billions of naira, remain beyond their reach.
Family Raises Concerns Over Kagini Property
The five-hectare property in Kagini, Abuja, is described in the petition as one of the most significant assets in the dispute.
Grace Wesley reportedly told the petitioners that she and her late husband visited the land together on several occasions and personally fenced it before his death.
However, the family alleges that documents reflected in the records of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems show an irrevocable Power of Attorney involving Bytrax Technologies Limited and Metrotel Global Resources Limited.
The petition identifies the latter company, with registration number RC 881850, as allegedly belonging to Emem Usoro and her sister, Itoro Usoro.
The family says it is concerned that the arrangement could complicate its efforts to recover the property as part of the late businessman’s estate.
A Power of Attorney generally authorises one party to act on behalf of another, although its specific legal effect depends on the document and the circumstances involved. The existence of such an instrument does not automatically establish that ownership has changed.
Petition Alleges Control of Business Interests
Beyond the land dispute, the petition alleges that Itoro Nnana Usoro manages most of the businesses the late Edirin Jerry Wesley allegedly left behind.
The family maintains that the alleged business arrangements, combined with its reported inability to access the deceased’s personal effects and other properties, have made it difficult to secure and administer the estate.
The petitioners are therefore urging President Tinubu to intervene, facilitate the recovery of the assets and ensure that the estate is handled in accordance with applicable laws.
Dispute Dates Back to 2019
The disagreement reportedly has a history in court proceedings initiated by Grace Wesley in 2019.
According to court filings cited in the account, she instituted matrimonial proceedings against her husband at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory under Suit No. FCT/HC/PET/251/2019.
Emem Usoro was reportedly named as a co-respondent in allegations of adultery and desertion contained in those proceedings.
At the time, Usoro was an executive director at United Bank for Africa, before her subsequent appointment as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The latest petition has now brought the dispute to the attention of the President, with the widow and the deceased’s relatives seeking intervention over the assets they say should form part of the late businessman’s estate.
The claims remain allegations made by the petitioners. Independent verification of the claims and a response from Emem Usoro and the companies mentioned would be necessary to establish their respective positions.
