The landlord’s love child?

Fola had never known her father. When her Mum died, she had been introduced to a father figure in the shape of her landlord. Her rented accommodation was part of a dream job package which mysteriously surfaced a few weeks after her mum’s demise. It was too good to be true especially ‘Daddy Landlord’. But her dear Landlord had passed on and some very strange event. Now two of the country’s topmost lawyers were in her flat with her uncle….

She invited the party of three to sit and offered refreshments. They all refused. Even water was not accepted. It was going to be a very serious meeting. The taller of the two lawyers started to speak. His sentences were logical, clear and precise but Fola could not get her mind around what he was saying. She kept asking ‘stupid’ questions as if she was not the holder of a Master’s Degree from one of the world topmost universities.

Not only were her suspicions right – the landlord was her biological father but horrors upon horrors, he had left all his landed property in Nigeria to her.

‘All?” she asked. She knew that he had massive office apartments in Victoria Island and Ikoyi as well as warehouse complexes in Ikeja and Apapa. Then there were the residential houses and apartment blocks in Ikoyi, Lekki and parts of the Mainland. Hectares of land in Eko Atlantic City, Lekki, Epe and along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway. A conservative valuation of the properties would be between N14billion to N15billion.

“Yes. All” The lawyer permitted himself a smile. He was enjoying her amazement.

“But there is a problem.” His smile disappeared.

“It is quite clear that his wives and children will contest the will. It will be an expensive and long drawn-out process. You will remember the famous battles over the property of Nigeria’s first `Finance Minister Okotie Eboh and erudite lawyer FRA Williams SAN. These have taken decades and are yet unresolved. But there is a way out. The family have said that if you agree to give up as much as N13bn of the property they will let you have this apartment complex and another in Victoria Island. The valuation of these properties is around N1.5bn. If you take them on, it will likely take years but you will be able to get it all”

She turned around to her Uncle. Her mother’s brother had not said anything but he clearly had an opinion.

“Follinton” He used her childhood nickname. “These people showed your mother, my sister hell when she was alive. I am almost certain that all the stress contributed to her early death. Your father has made his intention known by his will. I will say that we battle this people to the end. Who gives up N12bn worth of property? I can help you finance the defence of the lawsuit”

“But the lawyers say that it can take decades” she countered. “Why not take this sure offer. After all I did not expect getting this massive wealth. I only knew Daddy Landlord for two years”

“Whether you expected it or not -it is yours. I know the history as did your Dad. The family made your life and that of your mother a misery. It is your due recompense for growing up without a father” Her uncle was insisted. “You can be sure of my full support”

What would you do? Take the uncontested properties or fight for all the properties? Send your comments to editor@castles.com.ng

“Who are the people shouting outside? Does it have anything to do with Daddy Landlord’s death?” I was shouting as I asked the questions. Deep in my mind I knew that there was something strange about my situation. The flat and the job had come too easy. The Landlord was too close. Too concerned about my well-being.