A major legal and family crisis has erupted over the estate of the late former Oyo State Governor, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, as his first daughter, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, has filed a motion before the Oyo State High Court seeking a DNA test to confirm the paternity of seven individuals claiming to be his biological children.

In a suit filed before Justice Taiwo of Court 12, with motion number I/443/2024, Alao-Aderinto is also requesting the exhumation of her father’s remains from his mausoleum in Ogbomoso to enable a posthumous DNA sampling. Represented by senior legal counsel Oladipo Olasope (SAN), she is asking the court to mandate the tests at an accredited medical laboratory, naming the following individuals: Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Olamiju (a sitting House of Representatives member), Tabitha, and Olamikunle.

She further requested that the DNA results be submitted in a sealed envelope directly to the presiding judge, with the outcome to be declared in open.
The controversy stems from the absence of a will following Alao-Akala’s death on January 12, 2022, which has since triggered a bitter inheritance battle within the prominent family.

According to court filings, tensions escalated in October 2022, when Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi allegedly secured Letters of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without the knowledge or consent of Alao-Aderinto and several others. The documents granted them legal authority over the estate’s vast holdings.

In her affidavit, Alao-Aderinto accuses the defendants of manipulating succession procedures to gain control over an expansive estate that allegedly includes:
    •    High-value properties in Nigeria, the UK, and the US
    •    A luxury hotel in Ghana
    •    Luxury vehicles
    •    Multiple bank accounts in naira, dollars, and pounds sterling

She insists that only a court-supervised scientific investigation can determine who is lawfully entitled to benefit from the estate. Alao-Aderinto argues that her push for DNA testing is to ensure justice for all legitimate heirs, including children, aides, and close associates of the late governor.

The court is expected to deliberate on whether to grant the request for DNA testing and exhumation, both of which carry significant legal and emotional implications.

If approved, this case could set a landmark precedent in Nigeria’s legal system regarding posthumous paternity testing in inheritance disputes, particularly involving high-profile individuals without formal wills.

With family loyalties, millions in assets, and public reputation at stake, all eyes are now on the court’s next move in what is shaping up to be one of Nigeria’s most high-profile inheritance cases in recent years.