The late Igbo businessman, Chief Augustine Ilodibe must be turning in his grave now at the recent development in his business empire. His family and business have been embroiled in one problem to another since his death. First, it was the war among his wives over his will which favoured his second wife Ifeoma, from the prominent Ibeto family. Ifeoma was the only one who provided the transport magnate with a heir to his throne among the three wives. The fight over his inheritance was a bloody mess and made headlines in the tabloids. Recently, the late business mogul’s house on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, was sealed the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
It can be recalled that the deceased lived here with his wife Ifeoma during his lifetime. Even when he returned with his third wife Ngozi, she slyly reclaimed her husband’s place while the new wife was stationed in Onitsha. AMCON was granted the order to seize all moveable and immovable assets of the deceased as a result of the accrued debts by the businessman who passed away seven years ago. Little is heard of the heir of the Ilodibe clan, Ekene jnr after he was beaten to coma by unknown men few years ago during the heat of the inheritance war.
The late chief Ilodibe during his lifetime was popular in the transport sector. He was one of the pioneers of the transport business with his Ekene Dili Chukwu transport company which own a fleet of luxury buses that travels to the south-eastern region of the country and trucks for haulage. The transport company is a subsidiary of Ekene Dili Chukwu Group of Companies. He was heavily involved in the distribution of Mercedes Benz vehicles in the 70s. The deceased was also known for his humanitarian efforts and a lover of education. With the deteriorating state of his empire, one wonders if the aggrieved children will unite to revive what is left of their late father’s business.
