The family of the late former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, is mired in a deepening crisis as his first daughter, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, has approached the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, seeking a DNA test on seven individuals claiming to be his biological children. She is also requesting the exhumation of the late governor’s remains to facilitate the test.
In suit no. I/443/2024, filed before Justice Taiwo of Court 12, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oluwatoyin—through her counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Oladipo Olasope—urged the court to order DNA testing of herself and the individuals named: Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Olamiju (a sitting member of the House of Representatives), Tabitha, and Olamikunle.
She further requested that the DNA test be conducted at a court-approved and accredited laboratory, and that the results be submitted in a sealed envelope for presentation to the presiding judge, with the findings to be made public in open court.
In a significant twist to the ongoing legal and familial battle over the vast estate of the late governor—who died intestate on January 12, 2022—Oluwatoyin is also seeking a court order for the exhumation of her father’s remains from the mausoleum in his Ogbomoso country home.
The legal action follows a protracted dispute over the administration of Alao-Akala’s estate, which came to public attention in October 2022. At the time, two individuals—Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi, believed to be one of the deceased’s daughters—secured Letters of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without the knowledge or consent of Oluwatoyin, who is widely acknowledged as the late governor’s first child.
Oluwatoyin described their action as a calculated and unlawful exclusion that contravenes Nigeria’s laws on intestate succession.
In an affidavit and supporting exhibits submitted to the court, Oluwatoyin accused the duo of deliberately manipulating facts to gain exclusive control over the estate, disregarding the legal rights of other potential heirs.
The estate in question is reported to include extensive assets across Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It also comprises luxury vehicles, bank accounts containing hundreds of millions of naira, dollars, and pounds sterling, as well as a five-star hotel in Ghana.
Oluwatoyin insists that her interest lies in ensuring that all legitimate beneficiaries—whether nuclear family members, extended relatives, or longtime aides of the late governor—are duly recognized. She opposes what she terms a “winner-takes-all” approach allegedly employed by the current administrators.
Her legal team argues that the listing of only seven heirs, amid unresolved questions surrounding the paternity of some individuals, makes a scientific and legal resolution imperative.
“This is an inheritance case. It is only right to determine who is truly entitled to the estate,” said Olasope SAN.
In an earlier letter dated August 2023 and made public, Olasope warned that the exclusion of Oluwatoyin violated not only legal but moral standards, and that further delay in resolving the matter could deepen divisions within the family and tarnish the legacy of the late governor.
The matter is currently before the court, with a ruling expected in due course.
