A Lagos resident, Mr. Kolawole Adesina, is requesting judicial intervention due to continuous delays in the official reading of his late father’s will, a situation he believes is worsening a long-standing family dispute and obstructing the orderly settlement of the estate. Kolawole, whose father was the late Prince Emmanuel Adesina, a former senior manager at UBA who died in 2006, reported that attempts to have the will formally read at the Lagos State High Court have been repeatedly halted by objections and counterclaims from other interested relatives. Initially, the estate was managed under Letters of Administration granted in 2009 because no will was known at the time, presuming Prince Adesina had died without one. Prince Adesina had two children with his late wife, Mrs. Frances Adesina: Kolawole and Adenike Adesina-Kupolati. Kolawole noted that while he and his sister lived abroad, their nephew, Mr. Franklin Erinle, lived with their parents and assisted his father during his final illness. Kolawole later raised concerns regarding the management of his father’s affairs and estate transactions, claiming he was unable to access personal belongings or get clear information for many years. Upon returning to Nigeria in 2022 to care for his critically ill mother, Kolawole claims he found documents in his father’s room that suggested issues with prior estate transactions, though these have not been legally tested. After his mother’s death in April 2022, Kolawole was surprised by her will, which he claims included assets previously covered by the Letters of Administration for his father’s estate, and he questioned the appointment of an administrator in his mother’s will who was not involved in his father’s estate management. Subsequently, a former caregiver allegedly presented a sealed letter purportedly from his father in 2002, indicating a will had been deposited for safekeeping at UBA, which the bank later confirmed was lodged in January 2006. Concerned about inconsistencies in the earlier administration of the estate, Kolawole seeks proper court examination for transparency and fairness. However, the reading of the will remains postponed following objections from lawyers representing his sister, Adenike, who reportedly questioned the document’s authenticity and called for further investigation. Kolawole stressed that his primary demand is for an open and lawful process, stating he has no objection to any party challenging the will after it is officially read, and he also revealed the prolonged conflict has caused him personal distress, including security and legal issues that were eventually struck out by the court.
About The Author
