Court summons wife as legal battle erupts over late Alao-Akala’s estate

An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has issued a summons to Kemi Alao-Akala, the wife of the late former Governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala, instructing her to appear in court within 30 days.

The writ of summons, which pertains to a legal dispute over the estate of her late husband, was granted following an ex-parte motion brought by the counsel for the claimant, Toyin Alao-Aderinto, against Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi.

The claimant alleges that the defendants obtained a letter of administration over the late governor’s estate without proper consent, raising concerns about the mismanagement of the estate.

The court has directed Kemi Alao-Akala and her co-defendant to respond and appear within the specified time.

The suit marked I/443/2024 is challenging the actions of the defendants, Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi, who have been accused of illegally obtaining a letter of administration from the state High Court on October 6, 2022, in connection with late Alao-Akala’s estate, mismanaging the deceased’s assets and property and further excluding the claimant/applicant from benefitting from the distribution of the assets of the estate of late Alao-Akala, the claimant’s father.

The first daughter of the deceased, Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, is seeking the leave of the court to declare as illegal, null and void a letter of administration illegally obtained by the duo of Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi from the registry of the state High Court and to also grant an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the defendants, including Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi, by themselves, agents or privies or whomsoever is claiming through them, from continuing to sell or dispose any asset (real or personal), belonging to the late former Governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala.

It will be recalled that Toyin Alao-Aderinto, in a letter dated August 16, 2023, signed by Dipo Olasope, SAN, principal partner, Dipo Olasope and co., and addressed to the duo of Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Akala, had stated that the “Letter of Administration over the estate of the late Alao-Akala was illegally obtained by the duo to the exclusion of Toyin, being the first child and who by law should be one of the administrators, except she decline to act.”

According to a letter from the law firm of Dipo Olasope and Co, Toyin, the first child of late Alao-Akala, has been excluded from the family’s inheritance plans. Olamide, her mother, and two other siblings, including Olamiju Alao-Akala, a serving member of the House of Representatives, and Kemi, who was the first lady during Alao-Akala’s tenure as Governor, along with her son, Olamikunle, are working together to divide the estate of the deceased among themselves, leaving out the other legitimate children of Alao-Akala.

The letter also revealed that the defendants, Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alao, went to the probate registry of the state High Court in Ring Road, Ibadan, to process an unauthorized letter of administration without the consent of Toyin, the first child of the family. They improperly and illegally handled the assets of the deceased Alao-Akala.

A 21-day notice was issued to the defendants to revise the letter of administration to include Toyin and correct any other errors, while another seven days’ notice was given before the claimant approached the Court to seek legal action, as required by law.

The claimant, being the first biological daughter of the late Adebayo Alao-Akala (deceased), is entitled to inherit and have an equal share, if not more, in the estate of the late Adebayo Alao-Akala, who died intestate on January 12, 2022.

The claimant seeks a declaration that the defendants have no right to deny her rightful share and interests in the estate of the late Adebayo Alao-Akala.

The claimant also seeks a declaration that the letter of administration granted to the defendants by the state High Court on October 6, 2022, in connection with late Adebayo Alao-Akala’s estate was fraudulently and illegally obtained and is therefore illegal, null, and void, among other reliefs sought from the court.

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