Can you hazard the age of ever-radiant Helen Prest-Ajayi? When you consider the fact that she was 19 when she won the coveted Miss Nigeria pageant in 1979, you will not but be stunned at her ageless beauty. Almost four decades later, she still fits into the description of a beautiful woman, as many women her age with such stunning beauty are often described.
At 65 and with three adult daughters, she still turns heads whenever she steps out. Little wonder, she still adorns many fashion magazines alongside her daughters. Despite this, the beautiful woman is not happy as she continues a running battle over the estate of her late husband, Dr Tosin Ajayi, who passed away in 2020.
The former beauty queen and her daughter, Tomisin Ajayi, were dragged to court by Mrs. Adenike Oluyemisi Ajayi and her children (Tomi Deru, Olumide Ajayi, Omolade Soetan, Mayowa Okeowo, and Bisola Ajayi).
Mrs. Adenike had earlier claimed that Prest was only a concubine to her husband, faulted her claim that she was Dr Ajayi’s only wife and challenged her to produce legal proof of marriage.
So, penultimate Thursday, Helen testified before a Lagos High Court, presenting volumes of documents and pictorial evidence to establish her 25-year marriage to the late famous physician, Ajayi.
Ms. Prest told the court that her marriage to the deceased, who was the Managing Director of First Foundation Medical Engineering Company, was conducted in 1996 under Kalabari Native Law and Custom, with her full consent and the blessing of her family.
She gave her testimony during ongoing proceedings before Justice Oluwatoyin Odusanya, which concerned the management of Dr. Ajayi’s estate.
In the suit, they are seeking declaratory relief regarding the estate and inheritance rights of the deceased.
In response, the defendants – led by Helen Prest – argued that Mrs. Adenike Ajayi had been estranged from Dr. Ajayi for over 35 years before his death. They maintain that the deceased had undergone a traditional Kalabari marriage with Ms. Prest, which confers inheritance rights on her.
At the resumed hearing, Ms. Prest, led in evidence by her counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, tendered several documents, including a letter dated March 14, 1996, written by the late Dr. Ajayi to her mother, expressing his intention to marry her.
Earlier in her testimony, the witness informed the court that she is a published author of several educational books and has practised law for many years.
She also presented a series of photographs, including images of her mother, Mrs. Ella Prest, with Dr. Ajayi and their daughter, Tomisin Ajayi. Additional photos submitted included those of the family celebrating Mother’s Day, and another with Dr. Ajayi, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, and Ms. Prest.
Other exhibits included publications in Ovation Magazine and THISDAY Style from her 50th birthday celebration, featuring her with Dr. Ajayi and other dignitaries.
She also submitted a Punch Newspaper interview in which Dr. Ajayi publicly referred to her as his wife, among other evidence.
She further argued that she was the only wife of the deceased, as Adenike was an estranged wife who had packed out of her matrimonial home in annoyance when her late husband was in his prime. So, at the time Dr Ajayi died, Helen Prest was the only woman in the house.
It was stated that the deceased had lived alone for 10 years before meeting Helen Prest.
She also submitted a petition addressed to the Attorney-General of Lagos State, alleging that Adenike cornered all the properties and embarked on asset stripping, disposing of all the properties and assets of her late husband including a 21-hectare parcel of land located in the Chevron area of Lekki, Lagos without her (Prest’s) knowledge.
Ms. Prest also tendered the medical death certificate of Dr. Ajayi, issued by St. Nicholas Hospital.
According to her, after a period of courtship, Dr. Ajayi expressed his desire to marry her and travelled to Port Harcourt to meet her mother.
Upon acceptance of his proposal, he fulfilled all customary marriage rites in accordance with Kalabari tradition, as Ms. Prest is of Kalabari descent.
She also claimed that no Yoruba traditional marriage rites were ever performed between the deceased and Adenike.
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