A major legal drama has erupted in the family of the late former Oyo State Governor, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala.
His first daughter, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto has filed a suit at the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan seeking the exhumation of her father’s remains and DNA testing for seven individuals claiming to be his biological children.
The application, filed before Justice K.B. Taiwo of Court 12, Ring Road, under Motion Number I/443/2024, asks the court to order DNA tests for herself and six others, Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Olamiju, a current member of the House of Representatives, Tabitha, and Olamikunle.
She also requests that the DNA samples be analysed at a court-approved facility, with the results submitted in a sealed envelope directly to the judge for pronouncement in open court.
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Through her counsel, Oladipo Olasope, SAN, Alao-Aderinto is demanding the exhumation of the late governor’s body from his mausoleum in Ogbomoso to obtain a DNA sample for the tests.
The suit marks a significant escalation in a long-standing family dispute over Alao-Akala’s vast estate. The former governor died intestate on January 12, 2022.
Court filings said the conflict worsened in October 2022 when Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi allegedly secured Letters of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without notifying or obtaining the consent of Alao-Aderinto, who is legally recognised as Alao-Akala’s first child.
In her affidavit, Alao-Aderinto accuses them of manipulating facts to gain control of the estate, deliberately excluding her and other potential heirs. Her legal team argues that such exclusion violates Nigeria’s intestate succession laws and represents an attempt to monopolise the estate.
The contested estate is reportedly expansive, including properties in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Assets include a five-star hotel in Ghana, luxury vehicles, and multiple high-value bank accounts in various currencies.
Alao-Aderinto maintains that her legal action is not driven by greed, but by a quest for fairness and transparency in the distribution of her father’s legacy. She stresses that all rightful heirs—whether direct descendants, extended family, or loyal aides—should be acknowledged.
In a prior letter dated August 2023, her counsel warned that sidelining the first daughter undermines both moral and legal standards and risks dividing the family while tarnishing the legacy of a man widely respected for his populist leadership and dedication to grassroots development.
THECONCLAVENG
