Tunde Ayeni, the former chairman of the defunct Skye Bank, has accused his ex-mistress, Adaobi Alagwu, of blackmail after he ended her ₦5 million monthly allowance and attempted to reclaim a ₦400 million property in Abuja.
Testifying before the Customary Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Dawaki, Abuja, Ayeni claimed that Alagwu was unwilling to let go of their relationship because of the financial benefits she had been receiving. He stated that during their time together, he provided her with a luxurious home and a generous allowance but has since cut off financial support, leading to tensions between them.
In his lawsuit, marked FCT/CC/CV/DKDK, Ayeni is asking the court to declare that he is not the biological father of Alagwu’s daughter and that no marriage ever existed between them. However, Alagwu insists that a DNA test conducted in London, with report reference number 0Z5167, confirmed Ayeni as the father with 99.9% certainty. Ayeni, however, has dismissed the results, claiming they were manipulated.
During a court session on Tuesday, Ayeni’s lawyer, Joseph Silas, noted that the hearing was meant for the petitioner’s defense but revealed that Alagwu had filed a preliminary objection. Her legal team is contesting the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that Ayeni had already submitted a marriage certificate with his legal wife.
Silas countered that the objection was baseless, referencing Section 14(2) of the Customary Court Act 2007, which grants the court authority once both parties submit themselves to its jurisdiction. He urged the court to officially declare that Alagwu was never married to Ayeni, claiming she was using the false marriage claim as a means of blackmail.
“The respondent has used this assumption to continue blackmailing the petitioner after he discovered the child was not his and stopped the ₦5 million monthly allowance in October 2024. He has also asked her to vacate the ₦400 million property in Jabi, where she was only a trustee,” Silas argued.
