A legal battle has erupted over the estate of late Nigerian industrialist Chief Bode Akindele, with his son challenging the validity of his father’s Will
Trouble in Paradise: Legal Battle Erupts Over Late Billionaire Bode Akindele’s Estate
A major legal battle has erupted over the estate of late Nigerian industrialist and Parakoyi of Ibadan, Chief Labode Oladimeji Akindele, more than six years after his death.
Akindele, who died on June 29, 2020, left behind a sizeable estate whose administration is now at the centre of a dispute before the Lagos State High Court.
The case, being heard by Justice Tanimola Ajorin-Ajose, was instituted by Oladipo Alade Akindele, who describes himself as the late businessman’s seventh biological child and first son.
Oladipo is challenging the validity of his father’s Will and has asked the court to declare the document invalid, alleging irregularities surrounding its preparation, execution and interpretation.
Among his complaints is that he was allegedly excluded from arrangements for his father’s funeral and obituary despite being his biological son. He also claims he was not invited to the reading of the Will on August 17, 2020.
A major point of contention is a Family Protocol or Constitution repeatedly referenced in the Will. The claimant alleges that the document was missing from both the certified copy and the original Will.
He further alleges that the date on which the Will was executed was altered from August 5, 2015, to May 5, 2017, without proper authentication.
The claimant has also raised questions over alleged inconsistencies and drafting errors in the document, as well as the signatures of the witnesses who purportedly attested to it.
According to his case, the Will also failed to adequately identify the late industrialist’s extensive assets, including properties and investments reportedly held in the United Kingdom and Spain.
Oladipo is consequently challenging the due execution of the Will and the testamentary capacity of his late father, arguing that the document should not form the basis for administering the estate.
He is asking the court to invalidate the Will and restrain the defendants from administering the estate on the strength of the disputed document.
He is also seeking an order appointing the Administrator-General of Lagos State to temporarily manage the estate, as well as a comprehensive account of the late businessman’s assets and transactions since his death.
The defendants, comprising members of the late businessman’s family and associates, have denied the allegations.
While acknowledging Oladipo as the deceased’s biological child, they contend that Chief Akindele had disowned him during his lifetime, which they say accounted for his exclusion from certain family activities and the obituary.
On the disputed Family Protocol, the defendants maintain that the document existed as the “Sir (Chief) Olabode Oladimeji Akindele Family Constitution,” dated October 14, 2018.
They contend that the document was duly executed by the late industrialist and other members of the family and had been sufficiently incorporated into the Will.
According to the defendants, the physical attachment of the Family Constitution to the Will was not necessary to establish the validity of the testamentary document.
They have also denied any wrongdoing in connection with the reading of the Will, arguing that attendance was restricted by the Probate Registry.
The defendants further explained that beneficiaries living abroad were not invited because of the short notice given for the Will-reading.
Trial in the matter commenced on July 3, 2026, although substantive evidence surrounding the disputed Will and the administration of the estate is yet to be fully presented.
The case is expected to attract considerable attention because of the size of Chief Akindele’s estate and the broader legal questions it raises over the validity, execution and interpretation of Wills under Nigerian probate law.
The matter has been adjourned to September 28, October 7 and October 8, 2026, for continuation of hearing.
