Afolabi Estate: Okogie Claims Ignorance Of Compelling Law

There was a mild-drama at the Lagos High Court Monday as the Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie said he was not aware of any law that compels him to render periodic account in respect of the estate of Late Chief Olusola Afolabi.

However, the trial judge, Justice Deborah Oluwayemi replied that ignorance is not an excuse in law.

Justice Deborah Oluwayemi, had ordered Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie to appear before her in a suit instituted by the children of Late Chief Afolabi against Cardinal Okogie and two other administrators, Oluyomi Afolabi and Olasoji Peters to court over the administration of their father’s 23 years-old estate.

At the resumed hearing of the pre-trial conference, Cardinal Okogie asked the court to show him any law that says as an administrator of the estate of Late Chief Olusola Afolabi he must render account to the children.

The Cardinal also told the court that he could not remember when he opened an account with the First Bank in respect of the estate adding that he had already given them (claimants) the sum of N97 million representing dividend from WEMPCO shares.

He further informed the court that he opened the account because other administrators were not always available.

“I am a very busy person; I do not have time to see the day-to-day running of the estate. I only agreed to be one of the administrators because the mother pleaded. I cannot remember the date the account was opened. That is the honest truth, I cannot lie,” he added.

However, one of the claimants, Toyin Afolabi told the court that all they wanted from the Cardinal was details of statement of accounts as well as income and expenditures of the estate of her late father.

“My Lord we are not ungrateful to the Cardinal, all we want from the Cardinal is full account of how the estate of our late father was administered,” he said.