The battle over the estate of renowned physician and founder of First Foundation Hospital, Dr. Tosin Ajayi, has become one of Nigeria’s most talked-about inheritance disputes. And if recent developments are anything to go by, the high-profile family drama appears destined for yet another gripping chapter.
The mêlée has assumed an even more dramatic dimension. This time, the former beauty queen, Helen Prest-Ajayi, and her daughter, Tomisin Ajayi, are at the centre of it all. They have approached the Court of Appeal to challenge a recent Lagos High Court judgment which recognised Adenike Oluyemisi Ajayi as the sole lawful widow of the late medical practitioner.
In their notice of appeal filed on June 18, the appellants challenged the June 17 decision delivered by Justice Oluwatoyin Odusanya, arguing that the trial court arrived at erroneous conclusions regarding Helen’s marital status, Tomisin’s legitimacy and the administration of Dr. Ajayi’s estate.
The legal battle dates back to the aftermath of Dr. Ajayi’s passing in April 2020. Following his death, Adenike and her children instituted an action seeking declarations that she remained the only lawful wife of the deceased and was therefore entitled to administer his estate.
