CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro Accused Of Locking Married Man’s Wife Out Of Their Estate And Takes over Luxury Cars Through Secretly Owned Company
A widow in Abuja, Grace Wesley, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over allegations that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Emem Nnana Usoro, has refused to release the assets and properties of her late husband, businessman Edirin Jerry Wesley, to his family.
The petition, reportedly submitted jointly with members of the deceased’s family, alleges that several personal belongings, luxury vehicles, passports and landed properties belonging to the late businessman remain inaccessible to his widow and relatives.
Among the items listed in the petition are a personal safe, a Range Rover Autobiography, a Hilux jeep, Toyota Corolla cars, gym equipment, office furniture and equipment, household belongings, two British passports and Nigerian passports.
The petitioners further allege that several landed properties across Nigeria, said to be worth billions of naira, have not been returned to the family.
Dispute Over Five Hectares of Land in Abuja
A major focus of the petition is a five-hectare property located in the Kagini area of Abuja.
According to the family, Grace Wesley and her late husband visited the property on several occasions and personally fenced the land during his lifetime.
However, the petition alleges that records at the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) now reflect an irrevocable Power of Attorney involving Bytrax Technologies Limited as the donor and Metrotel Global Resources Limited as the donee.
The petition identifies Metrotel Global Resources Limited, registered under RC 881850, as a company allegedly owned by Emem Usoro and her sister, Itoro Usoro.
The family claims that the arrangement has raised concerns about the property’s status and their ability to recover it as part of the deceased’s estate.
However, a Power of Attorney does not, by itself, necessarily transfer ownership of a property. The legal implications of the document and the circumstances surrounding its execution would need to be established.
Allegations Involving the Deceased’s Business Interests
The petition also alleges that Emem Usoro uses her sister, Itoro Nnana Usoro, to manage most of the businesses allegedly left behind by the late businessman.
According to the petitioners, the management of these business interests, alongside the alleged withholding of personal belongings and properties, has left the widow and other family members struggling to access the deceased’s assets.
The family is asking President Tinubu to intervene and ensure that the estate is properly accounted for and administered in accordance with the law.
Previous Court Proceedings
The dispute reportedly dates back to 2019, when Grace Wesley instituted matrimonial proceedings against her husband at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Suit No. FCT/HC/PET/251/2019.
Court filings from the proceedings reportedly named Emem Usoro as a co-respondent in allegations of adultery and desertion.
Those allegations arose before Usoro’s appointment as a CBN Deputy Governor, when she was an executive director at United Bank for Africa.
The current petition represents a further development in the longstanding dispute, with the widow and her husband’s family seeking presidential intervention over the administration and recovery of the deceased’s estate.
The allegations contained in the petition have not been independently verified, and the response of Emem Usoro and the companies mentioned was not included in the account provided.
