Miss Nigeria and lawyer Helen Prest has broken her silence after a Lagos State High Court recognised Adenike Ajayi as the sole lawful widow of the late Tosin Ajayi, founder of First Foundation Hospital.
In a video posted on her Instagram page on Tuesday, Ms Prest vowed to continue defending what she described as her late husband’s legacy, saying she could not remain silent while his reputation, their life together and their children’s names were “trashed.”
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The ruling, delivered by Justice Oluwayoyin Odusanya of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on 17 June dismissed Ms Prest’s claim that she was also legally married to the late physician and granted all the reliefs sought by Mrs Ajayi and her children.
Mr Ajayi, a prominent medical practitioner and founder of First Foundation Hospital, died on 26 April 2020. His death sparked a prolonged legal battle after Ms Prest claimed he subsequently married her under Kalabari customary law, while Mrs Ajayi maintained she remained his only lawful wife.
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The dispute eventually centred on who the law could recognise as his surviving spouse and who had the legal right to administer his estate.
Helen Prest’s response
Responding to the judgment, Ms Prest said the circumstances she found herself in demanded resilience, insisting she owed it to the late doctor to protect the legacy they built together.
Ms Prest said: “If you were in the position that I’m in, you would find strength because the situation demands strength. What’s the alternative? To leave your husband’s legacy to be trashed? To leave your children’s name? To leave the life that we lived together to be just undefended and trashed? No, that’s not possible.
“I owe my husband much, much more than that. He was a great man. He’s a great father. He was a great friend. He was a great friend to my friends. He was a respected doctor, a very respected pillar of the Lagos State medical community. They know it. Everybody knows it. So I cannot keep quiet to allow his legacy to be just ridiculed and thrown to the dogs. That’s not possible.”
The truth
Ms Prest said the deceased made significant contributions to her life, the wider society, the medical profession and Lagos State.
She added that she would continue to speak about his impact, even if others who benefited from his generosity chose to remain silent.
“I believe too, as a woman, if you had to step up for something that you believed in, that you knew was the truth, no matter what other people say, you know the truth, and everybody knows the truth. We all lived it. We’re all here. We all know the truth. It’s not hidden. That’s the story of our society, but we don’t have to all be like that. Not everything has to be transactional.
“Not everything is about money. Yes, it is difficult. I know why people say, ” My God, you’re so strong, because I know what comes after you defend yourself. You have paid opinion writers. You know, I always tell people, you always know which side is telling the truth, because the side that is attacking with venom and vitriol,” said Ms Prest, also a lawyer.
Sue
She added that a person who is certain of the truth does not need to attack others but remains composed.
Ms Prest noted, “There’s no need to sponsor people to destroy somebody’s character. There’s absolutely no need at all because the truth will come out in the end, and it’s coming out slowly. As I’ve always said, right from the very beginning, you know, I’ve always, I’ve never sued anybody.
“I’ve always been on the defensive because there’s nothing to sue for. I’ve said right from the very beginning, there’s enough money for everybody, so there is absolutely no need. You know, I digress on that. The point I came to make today is that really, don’t tell women that they’re strong, that you could never be that strong.”
