Helen Prest-Ajayi is in hot soup as her effort to claim her share of the property of her late husband, Dr. Tosin Ajayi is now being resisted by his first wife and five children.

Trouble started when Helen blocked an attempt by her husband’s older children to take over a property measuring 3.7 hectares of land at Ilasan, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

A letter by Helen’s lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) to Dr. Tosin Ajayi’s first family lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) reads;

“We are solicitors to Mrs. Helen Prest-Ajayi and Miss Tomisin Ajayi, being the wife (via civil companionship) and daughter of late Dr Tosin Ajayi, the deceased beneficial owner of the property but held in the name of a company, which he was in his lifetime, the alter-ego.”

“Helen is a shadow director in the company through which the deceased acquired the property.”

“In Yoruba custom and tradition, when a man dies, the eldest surviving son called the ‘Dawodu’ becomes the leader of the family, but if there is going to be any important dealing with family property, “all branches of the family must be consulted and representation on the family council is per stripes (branch) according to the number of wives with children.”

Be that as it may, the first wife and five children’s lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has written a letter to Helen Prest.

The letter reads; “In the first place, the ‘Idi Igi’ principle applies where a man, who died interstate, was legally married to two or more wives. However, where a man, who was married under the Marriage Act died intestate, his estate will be administered in accordance with the Administration of Estate Law.”

“In the instant case, Ms Helen Prest was not married to Dr Ajayi either under the Customary Law or Marriage Act. Hence, Ms Helen Ajayi has been parading herself as the posthumous civil companion of late Dr Tosin Ajayi.”

“The case cited by counsel for Ms Helen in the letter under reference does not support the alien concept of civil companion as a form of marriage in Nigeria.”