Even at Death Former Gov. Alao-Akala Not At Peace As Daughter Begs Court To Exhume His Body For DNA
The family of the late former Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, has been thrown into deeper turmoil as his first daughter, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, has filed a suit at the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, seeking a DNA test to confirm the biological children of the deceased.
In the suit, filed before Justice Taiwo of Court 12, Ring Road, Ibadan, with motion number I/443/2024, Mrs. Alao-Aderinto is requesting an order compelling DNA tests on seven individuals listed as biological children of the former governor. She is also seeking the court’s permission for the exhumation of the late governor’s remains from his mausoleum in Ogbomoso to facilitate the test.
Through her counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oladipo Olasope, Oluwatoyin is asking that the DNA tests be conducted at a court-approved and accredited laboratory, with the results submitted under seal directly to the presiding judge for pronouncement in open court.
The seven individuals listed in the application include herself, Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Olamiju (a current member of the House of Representatives), Tabitha, and Olamikunle.
This development marks a new phase in the ongoing feud within the Alao-Akala family, which has been simmering since the former governor died intestate on January 12, 2022. The dispute became public in October 2022, when one Kemi Alao-Akala and another individual, Olamide Alabi, obtained a Letter of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without the knowledge or consent of Oluwatoyin, the first daughter.
Oluwatoyin alleges that the move was an unlawful exclusion that violates laws governing inheritance in Nigeria. In her affidavit and supporting exhibits filed with the court, she accuses the pair of manipulating information to claim sole control over the vast estate left behind by the late politician.
The estate is reported to be substantial, including numerous properties across Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a five-star hotel in Ghana, luxury vehicles, and multiple bank accounts with funds in naira, dollars, and pounds sterling.
Oluwatoyin insists that her legal action is driven by a desire to ensure fairness and transparency, and to guarantee that all legitimate beneficiaries—nuclear and extended family members, loyal aides, and unacknowledged children—are duly recognized and provided for. She described the current arrangement by the defendants as a “winner-takes-all” approach that undermines equity.
She maintains that there is no consensus on the paternity of the individuals listed as heirs, and that without scientific verification, the integrity of the estate’s administration remains questionable.
In a public letter dated August 2023, her counsel had warned that continued exclusion of the first daughter from the estate’s administration not only violates legal standards but could further divide the family and tarnish the political legacy of the late governor.
The case is expected to test the limits of succession law and family rights in Nigeria’s legal system.
