Ajayi Inheritance Clash: Legal Wife vs Long-Term Companion

Dr Ademola Oluwatosin Ajayi built a medical empire in Lagos after founding First Foundation Hospital in 1980. He died intestate on April 26, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. His legal wife, Mrs Adenike Oluwayemisi Ajayi, married him in 1974, and his long-term partner, former Miss Nigeria Helen Prest, who lived with him for 25 years, both laid claim to his multi-billion-naira estate. The dispute saw accusations of corpse withholding, diversion of sale proceeds, and attempts to secure letters of administration. In June 2026, the Lagos State High Court ruled that Mrs Ajayi remained his only lawful widow. The court dismissed Helen Prest’s claim of a Kalabari customary marriage for lack of credible evidence and noted her existing marriage at the time of Dr Ajayi’s death. Mrs Ajayi and her children were granted sole rights to letters of administration and a share of the estate. This landmark judgment has sparked debate on the gap between statutory marriage law and customary practices. The conflict continues as Helen Prest appeals and seeks a stay of execution at the Court of Appeal.

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