Late Industrialist Akindele Will Dispute: Claimant Raises Alarm Over Removal of Official Property Notices

Fresh controversy has erupted over the estate of late Chief Olabode Akindele following allegations that official notices placed on several properties by the Lagos State Administrator-General have been removed despite a court order appointing him interim administrator of the estate.

The dispute is before the Lagos State High Court in Suit No. LD/3374/FPM/2020, where his son, Mr Oladipo Alade Akindele is challenging the validity of the late businessman’s alleged will.

In a letter dated October 4, 2026, addressed to Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore (SOOB Law), counsel to the claimant, Pinheiro LP, said the court appointed the Lagos State Administrator-General interim administrator of the estate on February 12, 2026, pending determination of the suit.

The firm said the Administrator-General subsequently placed official notices on various estate properties in Lagos to indicate that they were under his control pursuant to the court order.

However, the claimant’s lawyers alleged that the notices had been removed from all or substantially all the affected properties.

“We have, however, been reliably informed and have independently confirmed that the notices affixed by the Administrator-General have been removed from the Estate properties,” the letter stated.

Pinheiro LP described the development as concerning, arguing that the notices were placed in the exercise of the Administrator-General’s court-appointed responsibility, not in his private capacity.

“The removal of the notices is therefore capable of undermining the authority of the Administrator-General and, more importantly, the efficacy of the order of the Honourable Court,” the firm added.

The claimant’s lawyers demanded the immediate reinstatement of the notices and urged that there should be no further interference with the possession, control or administration of the estate pending determination of the case.

They also requested confirmation of compliance within 48 hours, warning that their client reserved the right to return to court for further orders to protect the estate.

However, lawyers representing the first to 14th defendants denied their clients’ involvement in the alleged removal.

In a response dated October 20, 2026, SOOB Law said its clients had nothing to do with the conduct complained about by the claimant’s lawyers.

“It is our instructions that nothing alleged to have been done in the said letter has anything to do with our clients,” the firm’s counsel, Chinenye Emmanuel Okereke, stated.

The defence lawyers advised Pinheiro LP to direct its complaint to Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Muiz Banire, whom they said represented third parties claiming ownership of the disputed properties.

The development adds another dimension to the dispute over the late Akindele’s estate, with the claimant raising concerns about the implementation of the court’s interim administration order while the defendants’ lawyers maintain that their clients were not involved in the alleged removal.