Late Chief Iwuanyanwu’s will bars his young widow from remarrying, ties inheritance to marital status
The alleged last will and testament of the late statesman and former Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Chief (Engr. Dr.) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has surfaced a year after his passing—and it includes a controversial stipulation regarding his widow’s future.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, who was married to his first wife, Lady Eudora Nnenna Ozinyereaku Iwuanyanwu, for over four decades until her death in 2011, later wed 26-year-old Frances Chinonyerem Enwerem in 2013, when he was 72.
He passed away on July 25, 2024, at the age of 82, leaving behind Frances, now 37, and their son.
On June 16, 2025, TheWill News Media reportedly released details of the late patriarch’s will, which was executed by legal luminary Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN).
The document outlines the distribution of Iwuanyanwu’s substantial estate among his immediate family and select beneficiaries.
A major highlight of the will is the inheritance left to Frances: the renowned “Legacy House” on Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, which she is explicitly barred from selling.
She also inherits Magil Furniture—once managed by Iwuanyanwu’s late first wife—alongside partial ownership of properties located in Orji, Works Layout, and Naze, all within Imo State.
However, the will reportedly states that if Frances remarries, she will automatically lose all these entitlements.
Their son inherits the family home in Abuja, while the late Chief’s property in London is to be sold.
The proceeds from that sale are to be distributed as follows: 60% for the education of his youngest son, 30% to his eldest son, Jide, and 10% to the current occupant, Ezinne, to support her relocation.
Furthermore, Iwuanyanwu directed that the “Glass House” near the Orji flyover be converted into a public trust overseen by an independent board for charitable and community initiatives.
His remaining properties across Abuja, Imo, and other parts of Nigeria are said to have been evenly distributed among his five children.
