An Abuja customary court has adjourned until March 4, a suit filed by a Nigerian businessman and former chairman of defunct Skye Bank, Tunde Ayeni denying a child given birth to by a female lawyer, Adaobi Alagwu.
Newsmen had on January 16, 2023, exclusively reported a paternity tussle between the duo.
Ayeni was alleged to have fathered a child, a baby girl, with Adaobi, a claim he has blatantly refused to accept.
Newsmen in a series of publications subsequently also delved into their relationship, tracing a dating history since 2019 and connections to prominent personalities within the Abuja social sphere.
While Ayeni confirmed he was in relationship with the female lawyer, he denied being responsible for the baby.
“To continue to spread this unfounded tale is not only unfair to our friend, but also an embarrassment to the lady who knows the father of her baby. Tunde has got nothing to do with this.
“In 2019, businessman Tunde Ayeni met and dated Ada briefly, and being a perfect gentleman he had presumed her to be a decent and respectable lady, one who can be considered for future prospects should the possibility arise. But alas! A Leopard cannot hide its spot for too long. Realizing that he could not cope with her numerous escapades and being a highly responsible individual, He called off the relationship at once within just a matter of months.
“Having ended the relationship with Ada, Mr. Tunde Ayeni moved on with his life since 2019 and had put all the unpleasant experience in the past. It came as a rude shock and is highly traumatizing, the recent rumor gaining grounds within the FCT of a paternity row between Ada and Tunde,” a statement by his media team had read.
The businessman subsequently dragged the lawyer before an Abuja Customary Court, where he admitted that he paid “the customary dowry required to marry Alagwu in 2022, but the marriage didn’t proceed.”
He insisted that Adaobi was never his wife and urged the court for a pronunciation declaring the same.
“I want a declaration that she was never my wife, we were never married and I am not the biological father of her daughter.
“Adaobi is known to have dated multiple people between Lagos and Abuja at the time and her numerous other boyfriends must be made to subject themselves to a DNA test,” he said in the court documents.
Ayeni went on to add that he was cajoled by her father who claimed he was a high chief in his community and as the community leader will face a huge disgrace if his daughter were to birth a child without being officially married.
“Sometime in 2022, she claimed she got pregnant and that the pregnancy was for me. It became a source of dispute between me and her until she brought in her mother, who came to talk to me and subsequently, her father, who I met for the first time at that time.
“Her father claimed to be a chief in his community and that the daughter had told him about me a year earlier. And that she has told him that she is pregnant and that the pregnancy was for me.
“The father said according to Igbo tradition, there must be money paid on her for the child not to bear his (Ms. Alagwu’s father’s) name. And, that as a traditional chief, it was important for me to do it to avoid the shame to him and his family and for me to avoid the traditional consequence.”
Ayeni added that he only agreed to pay the said money at the time so that the child could answer his name because he was led to believe that the child was his.
“I agreed, but it was not for marriage, because I explained that I am married under the Act and I cannot conduct any other legal union,” he said.
Adaobi however failed to appear before the court for the second time on Monday 17th of February, 2025, prompting the adjournment until March 4.
The court had previously summoned the female lawyer to answer questions on Ayeni’s suit, but she was absent on both February 11 and 17.
According to a source present at the court room, Adaobi’s counsel apologised for her absence and confirmed receipt of the suit, stating they were still within time to file their defense.
The court also inquired about a sum paid by Ayeni to her family, which her counsel confirmed had been refunded.
“Adaobi Alagwu was initially summoned to appear before the court on February 11, 2025, to answer questions regarding her claims. However, she was conspicuously absent, prompting the court to adjourn the case until February 17,” the source said.
“Yet again, she failed to show up, raising further doubts about her credibility and the authenticity of her claims.
“This comes after she released a DNA test result, which claimed that Ayeni was the father of her child. The businessman swiftly denounced the document as fake, and investigations by him confirmed the result was doctored.
“Ayeni, who is legally married to his wife of over 30 years, Dr. Biola Ayeni, presented a certified marriage certificate in court to reaffirm his marital status. This evidence directly contradicts Alagwu’s assertions of any legitimate marital relationship with him.
“Observers on social media have also pointed out a significant cultural discrepancy in Alagwu’s claims. As an Igbo woman, she should be well aware that, according to Igbo tradition, it is a taboo for bride price to be paid when a woman is already pregnant. This cultural norm further invalidates her narrative and questions what she stands to gain by dragging her family name through the mud and casting doubt on her child’s future and paternity.
“The court proceedings have sparked public interest, with many questioning why Alagwu continues to avoid the legal process if her claims hold any truth, with sources saying she’s avoiding the court premises because of paparazzi and media presence.
“Ayeni in court added that he was cajoled by her father who claimed he was a high chief in his community and as the community leader will face a huge disgrace if his daughter were to birth a child without being officially married. Ayeni said he made him understand he was married under the act and yet Adaobi’s father cried and begged that better that it was whispered she was impregnated by a married man than for his title to be ridiculed.
“Being a man of repute in the society, Ayeni said he succumbed as he was also worried the doubt this will cast on his marriage could cost him too much. Today the die is cast and Adaobi who willingly showed her child’s face out in public could not appear to defend her legitimacy. Instead she subjected her two young, inexperienced lawyers to represent her tendering a medical report that claims she’s sick as the case was once again adjourned till 4th of March 2025.
“Tunde Ayeni however maintained that he has no ties to Alagwu and he is not the father of her child. The businessman has urged the court to expedite the matter and put an end to what he describes as a campaign of blackmail and public deception.”
