Abiola’s children beg Buhari to wade into crisis over sharing of father’s properties

The children of  the late  unsung martyr of Nigeria’s democracy. Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late winner of the June 12,1993 Presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola have written to President Muhammed Buhari to wade into the family crisis over properties left behind by their father.

Penpushing reports that, the children led by Lekan Abiola in the appeal letter titled, ’Report of  A Decade –Long Fraud’  alleged that some members of the family, over twenty years after demise of their parents have continued to deny them their rights in regards their shares of the properties within and outside Nigeria.

‘Your Excellency, we know you are determined to build a new Nigeria where there is law and order and as a result you will want to be informed about the matter at hand before it gets out of hand’, the letter reads.

‘Our father was a man of equity and, as such, he established companies that reflected this side of him. In all his companies he made sure that no child was given one single share and that no child was even officially made a director. Even in Habib bank (now Keystone Bank), he gave equal shares to children of different mothers (Kola and Lekan were given equal shares and this can be verified)’, they wrote

Penpushing further reports that, the children pointed out that, on the other hand, their later father put some of his wives as Directors; explaining that their late mother (Kudirat), was appointed as a Director in Abiola Farms and the late Alhaja Simbiat was also appointed as a director in RCN.

The children in the letter said each wife was not given more than one single share, stressing that not one percent but one single share, adding that strong evidence to this has been sent along with the original copy of the letter to Buhari.

‘However, five years following the death of our father, some members of the family fraudulently and criminally inserted their names into our father’s companies, including the most active one called RCN in whose name our father had used to purchase the bulk of his shares at Habib Bank’, the children alleged.

‘Having taken control of this company, these individuals were able to tamper with the Bank PHB shares and borrow monies from commercial banks using our father’s assets with the aim to default and impoverish his other children’, the letter emphasised.

‘This is despite the fact that in his will our father stated that his entire assets should be equally shared among all his children. This is something that should have been done over two decades ago. They were also able to use their new status in RCN to exert influence on other companies like Abiola Farms and Abiola Bookshop where RCN is also a major shareholder’, the bittered children wrote.

‘Your Excellency, there has been a court case requesting the courts to declare their actions as fraudulent and to state that the companies are moribund. However, judgment has been adjourned over and over again’, they added.

‘Even some other members who serve as administrators with Kola have joined this case against these fraudulent insertions out of fear of their names being tarnished. It is worthy of note that any open disagreement between administrators renders their validity null and void’.

‘In the meantime, the perpetrators continue with their acts on the basis of an invalid letters of administration that has failed to live up to its task: They never give account to qualified beneficiaries but were apt at publishing names of children who supposedly failed DNA tests while those who passed  (including all of our mother’s children) have received nothing since our father died over two decades ago’.

‘The UK property our father secured for our mother was even sold illegally a few months after her assassination and proceeds not given to us (all we were told is that some debts involving the estate had to be paid. This property is now worth almost a billion naira). Furthermore, the money willed to her was withheld from us while other wives had the UK properties secured for them converted to their names and also received monies willed to them’.

Penpushing also reports that, the aggrieved children told Buhari in the letter that, on this basis and with all due respect, they would appreciate him to use his office in helping them addressing the followings:

*The CAC should be asked to rectify the criminal changes made to  RCN and to reverse the companyto its original form as of the time our father died when he owned 499,999 shares and the late Alhaja Simbiat owned 1 share (in other words, it should withdraw the 60 percent and 40 percent illegally given to both Agbo and Deji Abiola).

*Then the CAC should immediately declare the company as moribund. All proceeds received from  the sale of its shares in PHB and revenues accrued from Summit Oil (using the fact that RCN is a shareholder of Summit Oil) should be returned to the rightful heirs as intended by our father.

*Your Excellency, the CAC should ensure that there is only one authentic RCN and that any company that appears to look like RCN (being incorporated after my father’s death) is declared a fraud and deregistered.

*The protection of the status of our mother as a director in Abiola Farms through which her position can only be substituted by our surviving children through a legal proceeding which has already been done by two high courts.

*All investigative agencies should move with speed to bring the culprits to book since this is a criminal offense and not a civil matter. The culprits must be made to return all monies earned illegally after deducting what was entitled to their mother in the will or the current value of any property  denied her as occured  in our own case). These people should face the full  and swift wrath of the law to serve as a potent example and deterrent to others planning to carry out similar crimes.

*The NNPC and DPR should be instructed to stop dealing with any individual claiming to have authority over oil blocks belonging to Summit Oil under any name and guise, particularly under the basis of being illegal directors of RCN. Any agreements made with any entity under this arrangement should be declared null and void.

*We urge you to order an objective investigation and hope that we receive justice in this criminal matter. We know that the other party would also communicate with you and we look forward to that.

Penpushing further reports that, the children declared that they would advised those alleged to commence their defence with the illegal insertion of names into the company carried out by them, which they said was the root of the crisis, stressing that any other matter is more less inconsequential to them

‘However, we would urge them to commence their defense with the illegal insertion of names into the company carried out by them which is the genesis of this feud. Any other matter is more or less inconsequential  as far as we are concerned’, the stated.

‘It has never been our wish to put family matters in public but we had involved the Oba of Lagos and the Alake of Egbaland years ago and our efforts were in vain. Even the late Baba Adini Alhaji Folawiyo had looked into the matter and was unable to resolve it’.

‘As a last resort, we approached your Minister of Justice years ago but once again they refused to cooperate. We strongly believe that it is time for criminal proceedings. Enough is Enough!, the children told Buhari

‘We have also decided to make it public to at least try to avoid the fate of our late mother who would have being turning 70 years old next month had some ruthless individuals not decided to assassinate her. We thereby urge you to inform all agencies not to be used to intimidate any of us while this investigation is being carried out’, they appealed

‘We know you honored our parents on your own without prompting from any quarters because you believe in justice. We recall your visit to the graves of both our parents in 2002 based on the invitation of our mother’s eldest child Lekan Abiola when he visited you in Kaduna, along with Chief  Badmus, and offered support for your presidential aspiration against the wish of many of our own people who had wanted a second term for the then incumbent Southern president’

Penpushing report that, copies of the letter were sent to. Minister of Justice, Inspector General of Police, Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC),Controller General of Immigration, Chairman Independent Corrupt Practice Commission( ICPC), Group Managing Director,Nigerian National Petroleum Commission(NNPC), Head NFIU), Governors of Kwara, Lagos,Ogun and Taraba States

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