An Oyo State High Court has ruled in favor of the children and family of the late Chief Olalekan Lagoke, declaring that their relationship with the deceased remains valid, even without presenting a letter of administration.

Presiding over the matter, Justice Kabiru Olawoyin dismissed a preliminary objection filed by Mrs. Biola Ayinke Titilayo, who contested the legal standing (locus standi) of the claimants, Professor Segun Lagoke and Mr. Olawuyi Lagoke, representing other members of the Lagoke family.

The court held that “the four claimants are not busy body as alleged by the first defendant.”

Chief Olalekan Rafiu Lagoke, an America returnee, passed away intestate (without a will) in October 2022.

Following his death, Titilayo challenged the rights of the children and family to claim ownership of his properties, arguing that they had no letter of administration and therefore lacked legal authority.

However, Justice Olawoyin ruled that “first and second claimants are junior brothers to the deceased and section 41 of the Estate Law of Oyo State allows the first and second claimants to sue for the properties of their late brother since the children are minors.”

The judge further stated that the claimants had made it clear that the deceased “only co-habitated with the first defendant when he returned from Lagos state to Ibadan and there was no child between them,” and thus, referring to them as “busy body in this case is null and void.”

He also held that “the fact that the claimants did not present letter of administration on the properties of late Chief Olalekan Rafiu Lagoke before the court cannot prevent them from representing their family in protecting the properties of their late brother.”

The disputed properties include a duplex located at 4, Gbedu Street, Ikolaba Estate; a completed property at Kehinsi Village near Paara in the New Airport area of Ona Ara Local Government; and an uncompleted land in the Ikolaba area measuring 518.452 square meters.

The claimants, represented by counsel Mr. Peter Idowu and Mr. Taiwo Adediran, asked the court to declare that “the first defendant has no legal authority to sell any of the properties of late Chief Olalekan Rafiu Lagoke” and that “the purported sale of the uncompleted land at Oba Oni Street, Ikolaba area with survey no plan Oy/3912/2020/060 dated 31/08/2020 by first defendant to the second defendant was illegal.”

They also prayed the court to set aside the sale and issue an “order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, and others from interfering, entering, disposing, selling, building or undertaking any construction work, tampering or dealing in any manner whatsoever with the properties of the deceased.”

The matter has been adjourned to June 16, 2025, for a case management conference.

Proceedings at the Anambra State High Court, Awka, were stalled on Friday as three well-known native doctors, Chidozie Nwangwu (“Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki”), Onyebuchi Okocha (“Onyeze Jesus”), and Ekene Igboekweze (“Eke Hit”) failed to appear for their resumed trial.

The state government alleges that the trio “prepared charms for suspected criminals and engaged in money rituals.”

All three had earlier pleaded not guilty.

They were first arraigned before Justice Jude Obiorah on April 11, 2025, after their arrest by operatives of the state security outfit, Agunechemba, set up under Anambra’s new Homeland Security law.

Their pleas having been taken, the matter was adjourned to Friday, May 16, for hearing.

When the case was called on May 16, however, none of the defendants was present.

According to defence counsel, they “had not even been informed” of any reason for the absence.

With no explanation forthcoming, Justice Obiorah adjourned the matter to June 20, 2025, for further proceedings.

Attempts by reporters to obtain comments from the prosecution team were unsuccessful, as they “refused to entertain any question from the press.”

The trial follows Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s directive to clamp down on native doctors in the wake of Operation Udogachi and other initiatives targeting ritual-related crimes across the state.

Ikorodu General Hospital,

Sam Adeko, a former photojournalist, has accused Ikorodu General Hospital of “gross medical negligence and inhumane treatment” following the death of his 62-year-old wife, Adejoke.

According to Adeko, his wife was admitted to the hospital’s emergency ward on 15 April after she “fell into a ditch and injured one of her toes.”

He claims a doctor “amputated the toe without consultation or consent from him, the children, or any member of the family” and alleges that staff then “stopped attending to her,” leaving the wound to decay.

Adeko says she died on Sunday as her condition deteriorated.

“The hospital is responsible for my wife’s death,” the widower stated. “They abandoned her after the surgery for four days … They performed the procedure on Friday, but brought forms to seek her consent on Monday. That is highly irresponsible.” He added, “I want justice for my wife’s death. They have rendered my children motherless.”

Responding, Ikorodu General Hospital denies wrongdoing, insisting that “all medical decisions were made with the consent of the patient and in line with standard medical protocols.”

In a statement signed by Deputy Director of Public Affairs Yekini Olasheni, the hospital said Adejoke was admitted with a foot injury “complicated by underlying chronic medical conditions and unsupervised pre-admission home care.”

It maintains she received “comprehensive evaluation and treatment by a multidisciplinary team” and that “all procedures … were performed only after both verbal and written consent from the patient.”

The statement continues: “From the second day of admission, the patient’s relatives failed to provide prescribed medications and approve needed investigations despite multiple efforts by hospital staff to engage them”

“Due to the progressive nature of her condition … a procedure was performed to prevent further complications. This was carried out with verbal and written consent from the patient. No procedure was done without her explicit approval.”

Hospital officials also reject claims of restricted access: “Contrary to claims, the patient’s relatives were never denied access. However, on several critical occasions, no family member was present when medical teams needed to confer or provide updates.”

The hospital stresses that Adejoke “retained the right to choose or refuse treatment throughout her stay,” adding that “all treatment options, potential risks, and consequences of non-treatment were explained in clear terms to her.”

The hospital says a “definitive surgical intervention” was proposed on 7 May, but the patient “voluntarily declined” and “discharged herself against medical advice” the same day.

Adeko, however call for an investigation into the matter.

Anya-Ndi-Igbo, a socio-political and economic development body, has extended warm wishes to the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi), as he turns 84.

In a statement released in Enugu on Saturday, the organisation’s President, Chief Chris Okoye, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr Uma Eleazu, praised the monarch’s steady encouragement since the group’s inception.

“Your support is an important berth of Anya-Ndi-Igbo and your goodwill have been a valuable asset in our records,” the statement noted.

The group highlighted the “twin anniversaries” marked on 14 May, Igwe Achebe’s birth in 1941 and his coronation in 2002, declaring, “Anya-Ndi-Igbo rejoices with you on the twin anniversaries of your Royal Birth and Coronation as Obi of Onitsha on May 14, 1941 and 2002, respectively.”

“With joy in our hearts, and gratitude to God Almighty, we join your subjects at home and in the Diaspora in celebrating your Majesty as a good King who shows the attributes of a Servant-Leader,” the message continued.

“Please, accept Your Royal Majesty, the assurances of our highest regards,” the statement concluded.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, have called for urgent and decisive action to eradicate extreme poverty across Africa.

The call was made during a leadership lecture themed “How to End Hunger and Poverty in Africa”, delivered by media mogul Dele Momodu.

Delivering the keynote address, Chief Obasanjo emphasized the importance of security, education, and leadership in addressing poverty.

“Before we talk about food, security is key,” Obasanjo said.

While proffering solutions to hunger and deprivation on the continent, the former president declared that education must be prioritized as a powerful tool against poverty.

“Education is one of the tools we can use to banish poverty. Where there’s no education, invariably, there will be poverty,” he stated.

He stressed that effective leadership was indispensable in the fight against poverty.

“In all works of life, we must have leaders whose characters display ‘communality’. Leadership is the greatest ingredient for ending poverty. There’s no human endeavour that does not thrive on leadership,” Obasanjo said.

He argued that Nigeria had the potential to overcome poverty through purposeful governance and discipline.

“To get it right, we must ensure no child is uneducated. Nigeria can eliminate hunger and poverty with integrity, discipline and good governance.”

“We can do it if China can lift 700 million people out of poverty. Nigeria should have no business with abject poverty. If we don’t take responsibility, we all sit on a gunpowder keg,” he warned.

The Ooni of Ife, who also spoke at the event, commended President Obasanjo for his insight and urged collective patriotism among Nigerians as a solution to the nation’s challenges.

“If we want to break poverty in this country, we have to be patriotic in all ramifications. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear. We may not get it right at first, but in a short time we would be the envy of the world,” the monarch said.

In his remarks, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State applauded Chief Momodu for establishing the leadership centre in Ibadan, Oyo State. He expressed concern about the disconnect between political leaders and their people.

“The problem we have is that people don’t have the fear of God. I invited President Obasanjo twice to Osun State to inspect the rapid development I am bringing there. I am trying to build the Atlanta standard of spaghetti junction,” he said.