Estate Crisis: Court Orders Claimant To Appear In Person

In a contentious legal battle over the estate of the late Janet Abimbola Dada, Justice Latifat Folami of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, has ordered Mr Ronald Lanier, the claimant, to appear in person to resolve issues surrounding his identity.

The court made this ruling in the suit marked ID/5526GCM/2022 after refusing Mr Lanier’s application to testify virtually.

Consequently, Justice Folami adjourned until December 16, 2024, for a hearing.

It would be recalled that Lanier, an American, had dragged the defendants, Mr Oluyomi Dada and Mr Ademola Dada before Justice Folami for allegedly obtaining fraudulent Letters of Administration dated December 16, 2021, over Janet Dada’s estate.

The estate includes a property on Victoria Island allegedly sold unlawfully. Lanier, acting on behalf of his siblings, contended that the Letters of Administration were improperly granted despite a caveat he filed and an ongoing suit on the same estate.

Lanier, through his counsel, Olawole Araromi sought the permission of the court to virtually from the United States (US).

Lanier’s lawyer insisted that his client’s physical presence posed risks to his safety and financial strain on the estate.

They presented affidavits and exhibits supporting the claim that his identity was already acknowledged by the defendants.

But, the 1st and 2nd defendants, represented by Julius Ayoola, opposed the application, citing inconsistencies in Lanier’s submissions.

They alleged that Lanier initially claimed to be a working professional at UPS but later stated he was a retiree.

The defendants equally challenged the validity of the affidavits deposed by Lanier’s counsel rather than Lanier himself.

In her ruling, Justice Folami rejected Lanier’s application, stating: “The court is therefore not inclined in the circumstances to grant special leave to the claimant in this case.

“Due to the irreconcilable nature of the Police Investigation Report and the content of exhibit RLL2, this court once again orders that the claimant must be present before the honourable court to resolve the issue of his identity.”