Almost four years after the storm that trailed the demise of oil magnate and Kalabari High Chief, Dr. O.B. Lulu-Briggs, respite seems to have finally come for the matriarch of the dynasty, Dr. Seinye Lulu-Briggs. After two years of bickering and a lot of back and forth on the matter, the late Lulu-Briggs was finally buried in March 2021, but Seinye was absent at the burial for obvious reasons. However, the widow of the billionaire philanthropist seems to have risen from the throes of her bitter experience and has continued to win and soar on all fronts. A few weeks ago, Seinye won a major battle as the Federal High Court in Lagos voided a travel ban placed on her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). The presiding judge ordered both EFCC and NIS to pay her the sum of N15 million while also declaring the seizure of her passport as unlawful and also ruled that EFCC and NIS should publish an apology to her in two national newspapers.
It’s worthy of note that while this accomplished businesswoman who started her career with the Central Bank of Nigeria was battling all these challenges, she was equally expanding her businesses including a foods and beverages firm, multifunctional haulage, asset-leasing and manpower management company, while also overseeing the affairs of Moni Pulo, an oil exploration company founded by her late husband. Like the proverbial phrase of when life gives you lemons, you make a lemonade, Spotlight learnt that Seinye has been able to turn all the little setbacks into triumphs as these have spurred her on to champion women’s rights and take on the plight of widows in order to help them rise above victimisation and all forms of persecution.
To this end she collaborated with the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) to offer free legal service, fully paid for by her husband’s foundation, to support embattled widows in the pursuit of their rights and the protection of their dignity.