The Raging Controversy over Late Bank Anthony’s Estate 

For some weeks now, the news space has been fraught with the battle over the estate of late Mobolaji Bank Anthony. For Queen Irene Cole, who took on the case as one of the trustees, it has become pertinent to shed more light on the matter giving the recent dissenting voices from the some descendants of the late sage and philanthropist.

In an interview with select journalists, she said her initial reaction was to ignore the claims of the descendants but for the fact that her silence will definitely worsen the plight of beneficiaries of the will that have been denied for long. Precious Ugwuzor brings excerpts:

Recently, some people that claim to be descendants of Sir Bank Anthony disowned you and condemned your activities on the issue of his will, what is your take on that? 

The first and foremost statement on their press release that I am not a trustee of the estate is a lie. I am Queen Irene Cole, the executive trustee of the Estate of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony, first by divine favor and with the judgment of justice S.A onigbanjo. Whoever that claims to be a descendant of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony must be aware that there is a lead trustee of the estate who is an elder member of the family that was nominated in Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony’s will and who is now in charge of the estate. 

So, any group of people claiming to be descendants of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony should be aware that the dead spoke 29 years ago but the people whom he nominated and trusted them to carry his will did not tell the fourth nominated trustee until I started searching for the truth about what happened to the estate. Mr. Babatunde Oluwajimi Bank Anthony claiming to be the grandson of late Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony could really be his grandson. However, the elder which he claimed to be his grandfather nominated an elder and who has been received legally and probated, why is he not following due process of law? 

Now, 30 years later, the spirit of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony declared in his will which leader he wants to handle his Estate. Please note that the estate of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony is completely distinct from the family of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony.  

What do you mean? 

In most estates, the trustees use their discretion to handle the affairs of either the family or the beneficiaries so as not to confuse the cooperate entity that demarcates what family wants to do and what the owner wants to do. 

In Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony Estate, he has specified distinctly the beneficiaries of his Estate and they include but not limited to: Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ogun state –The SIR Bank-Anthony Library, devised quarterly benefits for equipping the library, SIR Mobolaji  Bank-Anthony Cancer Research Funds at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state, The SIR Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Graduate Fellowship Scholarship for Eurology, Nephrology and  Forensic  Medicine  at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigerian Academy of Science c/o The Facultyof Science, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos –cash benefit yearly, The office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna; The Nigerian society for the blind, Paccelli school for the blind, Boys Scout of Nigeria, National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria,  Lagos (Cash benefit yearly), Provisions made to build a school in Lagos to be called The Alhaja Abiodun Bank-Anthony girls school, a mosque to be developed from one of Sir Bank’s properties to be called Alhaja Rabiatu Mosque and many others.  

So, what really happened? 

Sir Banks gave the trustees leverage of discretion as to handle affairs. When a group of people get together and disobey the law in Nigeria without rhyme or reason than to muddle up since they have no legal entity. If anyone calls me a fraudster, are they not supposed to expose where and when the offense took place? 

Nigeria has law even though we are seriously challenged but the only reason I did not serve them contempt of court actions is because they claim to be descendants of my Godfather. I do not have any enemies with the children of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony.

 The onslaught on my character was heavy, They even tarnished my image in an investment I made in Ghana- 441 hectars of land to build a resorts. I refer to the article of Wale Ojo Lanre on September 15, 2009 which will give you the true story-the challenges after such an aspiration to build a resort.  I now face the challenges of cancer. I not only survived it, I learnt to walk, talk and do everything again in life. I still own my title of 441 hectars till date despite all aggression. 

Everything that has been happening is by His grace, please think about it.  Funmiade Bank Anthony did an interview on July 13, 2019 telling the whole world that Sir Banks died with 48 properties and didn’t give her family anything.  God Almighty opened the door of one cooperate beneficiary and they gave me a power of attorney because we found out that the people nominated by Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony didn’t even bother to get probated and have been deceiving the family for over 30 years and haven’t paid any beneficiary.

 This elder is now in the custody of Alagbon FCID Ikoyi. These children going on social media to destroy my name don’t realize that legally, they have no claim to anything unless they obey what Sir Banks wants them to do for the fourth and last trustee, to obey and follow the fourth nominated trustee in the Will page 2, who is an elder of the family. Other elders, now deceased, and the remaining one is now corrupting these children with money telling them that I want to take over the money for the beneficiaries and he can share properties to them.

 He has been lying for 29 years, he will continue to lie. There is no way without being probated that he can structure the estate. I have explained to the children that they don’t have to worry about the real beneficiaries Sir Banks gifted these even when they see me as an enemy. I am not. They have to team up with the lead trustee that is legally appointed by the law by Justice S.A Onigbanjo. The real enemies of the Estate and or the family want to shut me down.

 All the social degradation of my name is because they know that the estate is coming for the money for the beneficiaries. The registrars and the banks and those harboring properties that don’t belong to them are really worried about me and they should be because after such a social media onslaught, I know who my enemies are and I will not challenge the children and Sir Banks. 

All the newspapers that don’t quickly extend their apologies for false information are those whom I hold responsible within seven days without a retraction or apology, they will make me very rich. I mean additionally extremely rich and or make themselves bankrupt because the children will never be liable in my eyes because Sir Banks is my Godfather.  

They said you are not a trustee of the estate…. 

 I say to all the family members of Sir Banks, you are his descendants and if you follow the law that your grandfather provided for you to read and follow in his will. That is if you claim you are children and want to obey the Law. Your grandfather has appointed a leader that anyone can access in your grandfather or father’s will and you want to join with a Criminal to give you properties that he did not devise to us by law because of gratification. 

This is bad. Forget about the deceit by the elder, this is now about you. You have to follow the law because the new Lead is a mother and not a trouble maker and is doing all to make sure that the family is intact. There is no reason to be bitter and angry. The Judge has spoken. God ordained it for no appeal. We should all join hands together and should work together. Sir Bank’s Estate is in very good hands and there is no need for anger and bitterness. There is room for everyone on the table. If you are ready to work hard, join us. If you are not, stop spreading lies and rumors and get legal advice. We are working for the legacy of Sir Mobolaji Bank-Anthony in blessed memory.  

What about this elder that you kept on mentioning? 

The elder that keeps deceiving the children especially Abubakar is already in custody of the Federal government high court with charge no. LD/181034 2020. I hereby extend my sincere apologies to the team of legal officers that have been working only by his grace but without money. I apologize on behalf of my Godfather because I know that with about three senior advocates of Nigeria, millions of naira spent and everything that has transpired, I, Queen Irene Cole, personally apologize to the lawyers and also if these barristers were not contracted by God, there is no way they can be victorious. 

They have been working for close to four years scraping from my pension and any little recovery to sustain the estate. The Estate profusely apologizes for the defamation of your names. For anyone to recover an estate that had been hijacked for over 30years ago with all legal ramifications, it’s strictly divine especially because of the kind of money the fraudulent trustees have been spending. I declare to the world that Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony, in his infinite wisdom, programmed a Will that can benefit millions of Nigerians for eternity, not one generation not two generations but for eternity.

 Unfortunately, with all the ocean of wealth he provided, one of the surviving trustees was taking teaspoon of money and depreciated all the properties. There is no way he could have worked legally being unprobated with any of the registrars or banks so we now have a situation where beneficiaries have never been paid. The registrars and banks are so used to keeping Sir Bank’s money that they thought that when we got the court victory, they would not comply. The corruption in the banks and the registrars are deep seated. 

We must realize that this is a crime that has been over 30 years but for the interview by Funmiade Bank Anthony making a false claim because she had been deceived to believe that the corrupted elders had purported false claims with regards to the will and stated that Sir Banks left this world without leaving his family anything even with 48 properties.

 I want everyone to understand me, I know most people that knew Sir Banks knew that he was an honorable man. The so -called families that are now destroying me on social media claiming that I am a fraudster, where were they? I know many Nigerians benefited from the anointing of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony so I kept waiting when the negative reviews that followed that interview would be challenged, negated.

 I thought even the government would look into a response into people calling him negative names but nobody answered, I was depressed, I spoke to Funmiade Bank Anthony when eventually I found the will and the truth at probate registry. I don’t know what spirit took over us to reveal and recover the truth. Funmiade and Abubakar agreed with us and we engaged a lawyer at the Sheraton hotel though we didn’t have any money except my pension but the lawyer, Barrister kayode Fasetire, agreed to do pro bono(without fees). 

What are you doing next? 

Sir Bank’s Estate is now enforcing the law and we want everyone to know our legal team, our investigations team, our administrative team, our field team, our development team to name a few.  

We are all ready to enforce the law in any of the properties, registrars and or banks that think they are going to face us through me because they are not just facing Queen Irene Cole, they are facing an Estate and this is Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony recovered Estate. Anyone who wants to go to jail should feel free.