Friends and associates of Dr Tosin Ajayi, the Managing Director, First Foundation Medical Centre, Lagos and the husband of ex-beauty queen, Helen Pres
Friends and associates of Dr Tosin Ajayi, the Managing Director, First Foundation Medical Centre, Lagos and the husband of ex-beauty queen, Helen Prest-Ajayi are perplexed that he is yet to buried, eight months after he died.
Dr Tosin Ajayi died on April 26 2020 at the St Nicholas hospital, after battling kidney problem.
His delayed burial may not be unconnected to the tussle going on between his widow and his five children from his first wife, Yemisi.
Though he died during the Covid-19 pandemic total lock down across the country, his friends and associates wanted him to get a befitting burial while still complying with the lock down restriction.
Unfortunately, this has not happened as events that played out after his children were informed of his death was to lead to the long stay of Dr Ajayi’s corpse in the morgue.
It was gathered that shortly after his children from his first wife were informed about their father’s death, they petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, alleging that their father’s wife, Helen, was in the best position to know what killed him.
She was invited to Panti Police station to write a statement, after which the Police decided to conduct further investigation on the matter and requested that an autopsy be conducted on the deceased, the result of which revealed that he died of natural cause,as no foul play was found.
On account of the autopsy done,Dr Ajayi’s children got another death certificate issued to them,with the address of the deceased captured as the residential address of his first wife, contradicting the Ikoyi home address where he lived and shared with Helen Prest-Ajayi and which they had admitted to as being his residence in their petition.
The issuance of another death certificate looked suspicious to those in the know, as his widow Helen, had already been issued a death certificate when Dr Ajayi’s body was deposited at the morgue. She had given the coroner, a letter through her lawyer, that should another death certificate be issued after the autopsy, it was to be handed over to her, being the one responsible for putting him in the TOS funeral home in LASUTH.
The address error on the new death certificate was pointed out by Helen’s lawyer who asked the court to instruct that the records be rectified. In the midst of this,Dr Ajayi’s first wife, Yemisi, who is Senator Mamora’s sister, went ahead to sue the TOS Funeral Home, demanding for the release of his corpse to her and her children to bury. On finding out, Helen’s lawyer, it was gathered, joined her to the suit.
All of this events led to the delay of the burial of Dr Ajayi,which hasn’t gone down well with friends and colleagues of the late renowned doctor.
Contrary to the story being peddled that Helen is the one stalling the burial of her late husband, those close to the family are alleging that the children’s refusal to agree on the dates they picked has become the main issue.
After several meetings held between Dr Ajayi’s children and Helen called by prominent people in Lagos,who are friends of Dr Ajayi, there seem to be a goalpost move on the burial date each time one was put forward by the children and which Helen would agree to.
It was gathered that the real reason the Ajayi children have continued to refuse to concede to the pleas being made to them to have their father buried is because they are angry Helen refused to bow to their demands.
Sources close to the family alleged that the older Ajayi children are demanding that Helen hand over their father’s corpse to them to bury and she would not be allowed to participate in the burial ceremony. They also demand that she hand over the original death certificate, a request she refused to heed, since they were planning to exclude her from the burial.
They are also insisting that his burial will be officiated at their mother’s church, SherperdHill Baptist Church, Lagos,while the deceased had said he would want his burial conducted by the pastor of one of the RCCG parishes on the island, where he worships.
These requests were refused by Helen, as her late husband didn’t attend the church of their choice. He even refused to attend the weddings of two of his daughters that held at the SherperdHill Baptist Church, for reasons best known to him.
Those close to the Ajayi family are wondering why Dr Ajayi’s first wife, Yemisi, and her children have chosen to walk this path to settle scores, especially since Yemisi and Dr Ajayi had parted ways 35years ago, and 10years before he even met Helen,with whom he has a daughter and with whom he was with for 25years till his death.
Many are also surprised by how Senator Mamora hasn’t stepped in to make peace in the face of the current situation,especially as he was quite close to Dr Ajayi,spending time with him as well as Helen, despite being the brother of his first wife.
According to Glam and Essence, the turn of events in the Ajayi home front has saddened many of the deceased friends and associates, who have had to watch how this renowned doctor and philanthropist is being dishonoured by his family; Yemisi and her children, resulting in the denial of his body from being released for burial, so that he may finally rest in peace.
