The Lagos State High Court has directed the Lagos State Administrator-General to take over the interim management of the estate of late industrialist Chief Labode Akindele, the Parakoyi of Ibadan, pending resolution of a challenge to his Will.
Justice Tanimola Ajorin-Ajose made the order on an application by the deceased’s first son, Oladipo Akindele. The claimant is contesting the validity of the Will and seeking to stop any dissipation of assets while the substantive suit is heard.
Akindele died on June 29, 2020, aged 88, at his Lagos residence. His son has sued 16 defendants, including the late industrialist’s widows, children, relatives, associates and officials of the Lagos State High Court Probate Registry. He asks the court to declare the entire Will invalid, arguing it failed to comply with the relevant Wills Law and therefore cannot form the legal basis for administering the estate.
The claimant also raised concerns about the estate’s management, citing unpaid rents on income-generating properties and alleged failures to properly account for income. He maintained that the absence of an effective executor or administrator left the assets at risk of waste or mismanagement.
In granting the interim order, Justice Ajorin-Ajose appointed the Administrator-General to manage the estate under the court’s immediate control and direction. The interim administrator is required to file quarterly reports. All parties were ordered to cooperate to preserve the estate.
Some defendants opposed the application, challenging the court’s jurisdiction, particularly over assets said to lie outside Lagos and Nigeria—and describing the claimant’s allegations as vague and speculative. They also argued that the properties forming the estate had not been sufficiently identified.
The court rejected those objections, holding that the priority at the interim stage was the preservation of the estate rather than a definitive listing of every asset. Justice Ajorin-Ajose noted that the Will itself is under challenge and that no executor or administrator was effectively in place to manage the estate at the time of the application.
The order remains in force until the substantive suit on the validity of the Will is heard and determined.
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