A Lagos High Court has brought to an end the long-running family and estate dispute surrounding the late founder of First Foundation Hospital, Dr. Tosin Ajayi, by declaring Mrs. Adenike Ajayi as his only lawful widow and rejecting the competing claims of former Miss Nigeria, Helen Prest-Ajayi.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Oluwayoyin Odusanya at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, the court ruled that the marriage between Dr. Ajayi and Adenike Ajayi remained valid until his death in April 2020 because it was never legally dissolved. The judge stressed that prolonged separation does not automatically end a legally recognized marriage.
The legal battle, which lasted nearly five years, arose after Helen Prest claimed she was also a wife of the late medical practitioner and sought recognition in matters relating to his estate. However, the court found that she failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove the existence of a valid customary marriage with the deceased.
Justice Odusanya reportedly described the marriage claim as an afterthought, noting inconsistencies in Prest’s previous descriptions of her relationship with Dr. Ajayi. The court also observed that she could not establish critical details of the alleged customary marriage, including where and when it took place.
The judge further held that even if such a marriage had occurred, it would have been invalid because evidence before the court showed Prest was still legally married to another man at the time she claimed to have married Dr. Ajayi.
With the ruling, Adenike Ajayi was affirmed as the sole legally recognized spouse of the late doctor and was declared entitled to one-third of his personal estate. The court also held that she is the only spouse qualified to apply for letters of administration over the estate.
The dispute over Dr. Ajayi’s multi-billion-naira estate had attracted public attention since his death in 2020, with disagreements between members of his family leading to several court cases and even delaying his burial.
