A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted former beauty queen Helen Prest-Ajayi 50 per cent entitlement of the net assets of her late partner, Dr Tosin Ajayi.
Justice Tijjani Ringim gave the ruling on Tuesday in a suit by Tomisin Ajayi and Prest-Ajayi as the first and second applicants.
They filed the suit through their counsel Abiodun Owonikoko.
Listed as first to fourth respondents in the suit are the First Foundation Medical Engineering Company Limited; registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission; Ajayi’s estranged wife Oluwayemisi; and lawyer Patrick Abak.
The judge granted the 13 reliefs sought by the applicants following the respondents’ failure to controvert them.
They include that Prest-Ajayi is “entitled to 50 per cent (or so much as the court may sanction upon audit and valuation) constituting the net assets of the firm, after satisfying all just taxes and debts as family and investment partner of Dr Tosin Ajayi from 1996 till 26 April, 2020 to the exclusion of Mrs Oluwayemisi Ajayi, among others.
Justice Ringim also held, “Despite the service of processes filed on the respondents and affidavits of service duly filed in court, the respondents failed to use the opportunity afforded to them by law to controvert the averment of the plaintiff in the affidavits.
“However, it is a settled law that evidence not controverted is deemed admitted. All the reliefs sought in this application are hereby granted as prayed.”
Ajayi died on April 26, 2020. He was married to Oluwayemisi and they had children but were separated for 35 years before his demise. During the separation, Ajayi met the former Miss Nigeria and they had a child.
