The Administrator of the Estate of the late Mrs Esther Ibeto, has dragged Jigida singer, Uche Ibeto, before the High Court of Justice of Lagos State, over unlawful possession of their late mother Esther Ibeto’s one-storey building in Surulere, Lagos.
Ms Ibeto, popular as the “Jigida Queen,” is a septuagenarian highlife and traditional music star famed for the 1988 classic ‘Egwi Jigida’ and decades of live performances across Nigeria’s cultural circuit.
Led by the Administrator of the Estate, Mrs. Laura Chinyelu Okoh, in a suit filed through her counsel, Barr E. Omoijiade, dated October 2, 2025, accused their sister of unlawfully taking possession of cash, valuables, property title documents and rental income belonging to the Estate after their mother’s death.
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They also accused Uche of sponsoring defamatory publications in the media against the Administrator and other members of the family.
Specifically, they mentioned a publication in an online platform, dated September 9, 2025, where she accused Mrs Okoh of conniving with a judicial officer to eject her from her home at 36, Ibezim Obianulu Street, Lagos, where she had lived.
But the Estate Administrator, on behalf of the family, prayed the court for an order for Uche, who is the sole defendant in the matter, to return all assets belonging to the Estate, provide a full account of the Estate’s finances and publish a retraction and apology for the defamatory statements.
The plaintiff has requested that the court order monetary compensation of N10,000,000 for defamation and an additional N10,000,000 to cover the costs of the legal action.
She further asks the court to compel Uche Ibeto to account for £10,000 that was allegedly withdrawn from their deceased mother’s Barclays Bank account.
Additionally, she seeks a perpetual injunction to prevent Uche Ibeto from interfering with the estate or from publishing any further defamatory statements. In the statement of claim, which has been sworn by the Estate Administrator, Mrs. Okoh, the claimant asserts that Uche Ibeto unlawfully rented out various portions of the deceased’s property, including the boys’ quarters, garages, and flats, without proper authority from the estate administrators. Uche is said to have converted rental income exceeding N25,000,000 for her personal use.
The claimant also states that, despite repeated requests and demands, Uche Ibeto has consistently refused, neglected, and failed to account for or return the money, valuables, and documents that were unlawfully removed from the deceased and the estate.
“These assets, which rightfully belong to the estate of the late Mrs. Esther Ibeto, remain in the defendant’s possession without lawful justification or explanation.”
The claimant intends to support these claims at trial with a formal letter dated August 20, 2025, which was sent to the defendant demanding the immediate return of the estate assets still held by her. Furthermore, the claimant indicates that due to the defendant’s ongoing refusal to account for the estate assets in her possession and her continued dissipation of the remaining assets, it has become necessary to sell the house for the sake of the estate’s best interests
