An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the executors and administrators of the estate of late former Governor of Oyo State, Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, from selling, disposing of, or entering into any form of transaction on the contested properties pending the determination of the substantive suit — as a fierce family battle erupts over no fewer than 35 properties linked to the late politician spanning Nigeria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ghana.
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The court also ordered accelerated hearing of the case and adjourned to April 16, 2026, for ruling on a separate application requesting that DNA tests be conducted among the siblings connected to the dispute — a development that introduces an explosive paternity dimension to the already complex inheritance battle.
The order followed an application filed by Oluwatoyin Alao Aderinto, who approached the court as claimant in Suit No. I/443/2024, seeking judicial intervention over the administration of the late politician’s estate.
Aderinto told the court she is the first daughter of the late governor and has a legal and equitable interest in the estate and properties. She alleged that some assets belonging to the estate had been sold without her consent, agreement, or knowledge, and that steps were allegedly being taken to dispose of other properties or enter into joint venture arrangements involving assets of the deceased.
She argued that failure to grant the injunction could result in continued sale or disposal of the assets, causing irreversible damage to her interest in the estate.
Joined as defendants are Chief Oluwakemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi, both listed in court documents as executors and administrators of the estate.
Ruling on the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction, brought pursuant to Order 48, Rules 4 and 6, and Order 49 of the High Court of Oyo State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2022, the court granted the relief sought.
The court restrained the defendants, their agents, servants, assigns, privies, or any person acting through them from selling or continuing to sell, disposing of, or entering into joint venture agreements in respect of properties belonging to the late governor pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The court also ordered accelerated hearing to ensure speedy dispensation of the matter.
In a development that adds a deeply personal dimension to the dispute, an additional application seeking DNA tests among the siblings connected to the case was moved before the court during proceedings. Following arguments, the court adjourned to April 16, 2026, for ruling on the DNA testing request.
The DNA application suggests that questions about biological parentage may be at the heart of part of the dispute, potentially determining who qualifies as an heir to the late governor’s estate.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that the disagreement centres on an extensive estate that includes high-value real estate, commercial assets, vast expanses of land, and business ventures scattered across major cities in Nigeria and abroad.
The properties in Nigeria include a residence at No. 1 Oba Akinyele Avenue, Old Bodija, Ibadan; a guest house in Agodi GRA, Ibadan; plots of land in Aerodrome GRA, Samonda; and approximately 7,000 acres of land beside the Ibadan Golf Club.
In Abuja, the estate includes properties in Asokoro and Games Village. In Lagos, assets are located in Ikeja, Ikoyi, Surulere, and Oniru.
Ogbomoso, the late governor’s hometown, features multiple properties including commercial ventures such as Eternal Mega Filling Station, TDB Filling Station, a NIPCO Filling Station, TDB Gas Plant, and Parrot FM radio station. The estate also includes a warehouse, a farm, and land holdings in GRA, Ogbomoso.
A 1,000-acre expanse of land at Ikoyi, Ogbomoso, reportedly earmarked for the proposed Alao-Akala College of Health Sciences and Umera Farms, is also part of the estate, along with Olowolagba Microfinance Bank.
Internationally, the estate includes a five-star hotel in Ghana, a residence at 140-23 160th Street, Jamaica, Queens, New York City, United States, and another at 19 San Juan Drive, Chafford Hundred, Grays, Essex, United Kingdom.
Sources said the absence of a clear and universally accepted sharing formula has fuelled tensions among heirs, with disagreements reportedly intensifying over who controls the most lucrative assets.
The claimant’s position is that as the first daughter, she has rights and entitlements in the estate that are being disregarded by the executors, who she alleges have been disposing of assets without consulting her or obtaining her consent.
The introduction of the DNA testing application suggests that the dispute may also involve questions about who legitimately qualifies as an heir — a matter that, if litigated, could fundamentally reshape the distribution of the estate.
Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala served as Governor of Oyo State between 2007 and 2011 and remained a prominent political figure in the state until his death. The scale of the estate now at the centre of the family dispute reflects his decades of political influence and business activities.
With the interlocutory injunction now in force, all transactions involving the late governor’s properties are frozen until the court determines the substantive suit. The accelerated hearing order means the case is expected to move more quickly than typical estate litigation, though the DNA application and the complexity of the asset portfolio could extend proceedings.
The case is adjourned to April 16, 2026, for ruling on the DNA testing request. Further proceedings will focus on the substantive issues surrounding the administration, ownership, and distribution of the estate.
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