Paternity suit: Court declares two children of late A’Ibom business mogul illegitimate
The Akwa Ibom state High Court, Okobo Judicial Division, has ordered two brothers, Victor Ambe Bassey and Mfon Ambe Bassey to drop their surnames as they are not the legitimate children of late business mogul, Chief Ambe Bassey.
The eldest son and Principal Administrator of late Chief Bassey’s estate, Evangelist Alfred Ambe Bassey, had approached the court to stop the duo, Mr Victor Ambe Bassey of State Security Service(SSS) Akwa Ibom Command and Mfon Ambe Bassey of Nigerian Prison service, Ikot Ekpene, from further parading themselves as the children of his late father, Chief Ambe Bassey.
Evangelist Bassey who is contesting the paternity of the duo told the court that his father died on February 27, 1995 leaving behind only six children who did not include Victor and Mfon.
Bassey in his statement of claim in suit No HOK/12/2015 is seeking order of court to stop the defendants whom he told the court are also known as Victor Sedeke and Mfon Sedeke, to stop claiming to be Victor Ambe Bassey and Mfon Ambe Bassey.
After hearing, Chief Emmanuel Ekpenyong, counsel to Alfred Bassey, urged the court to invoke the provision of order 25 rule 6(b) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules of Akwa Ibom state 2009.
Justice G. F. Ette, delivering judgement stated, “Upon the court believing that the defendants have chosen to go into deep slumber hereby grants the application as prayed.”
“That the Defendants are not the children of the Claimant’s father, Chief Ambe Bassey(deceased) because they were born in 1980 and 1982 respectively after Chief Ambe Bassey had divorced their mother, madam Enobong Henshaw in 1976 pursuant to Urueoffiong/Oruko Customary Court Judgement in suit No.340/76″.
Justice G. F. Ette, upheld that the defendants are not the children of the claimants father, chief Ambe Bassey. Their mother,Madam Enobong Henshaw, having been divorced by the claimant’s father have no right to give false impression that they are members of Chief Ambe’s family.
He ordered a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from using names “Ambe Bassey” in their respective names because they are not children of the Late Ambe Bassey.
The defendant were also ordered to publish an apology addressed to the claimant and have same published, in two National Newspapers and one local Newspaper for the embarrassment caused the family of Late Chief Ambe Bassey and to pay a cost of N10,000 for the action.
Late Chief Ambe Bassey, from Urue Offong Village, Urue Offiong/Oruko Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state, is a successful businessman and one time Governorship aspirant in the defunct Cross River state.
Today the family is in tatters as the surviving children are moving from one court room to another to unravel the mystery surrounding the paternity of two of the children, Victor and Mfon.
After his death on 27 February 1995, Chief Bassey’s soul has never rested in peace as his children keep invoking his spirit to reveal the true paternity of two of the children, who were relatively unknown before and after the death of their father 22 years ago.
Late Chief Ambe Bassey’s first wife, Princess Bernadette Ambe Bassey, had four children with Alfred Ambe Bassey as his first son, followed by Ime ,Ikwo and Utang Ambe Bassy.
His second wife, Madam Enobong Hensaw Sedeke , who later became known as Mrs Eno Ambe Bassey, upon marriage had two children for the Bassey’s (Mayen and Ukuokeno Ambe Bassey).
Trouble started when two other male children by Madam Eno appeared after their mother had been divorced, claiming to being the biological children of Late Chief Ambe Bassey.
To ascertain the paternity of the two children the first son of Late Chief Bassey, Evangelist, Alfred Ambe Bassey, who is also the principal administrator of the estate, approached High Court, Okobo Judicial Division in 2015 to seek an order of court restraining the two children in the paternity dispute from parading themselves as the lawful children of their Late Father.
Bassey Willie, Uyo
