Adaobi Alagwu, an Abuja-based lawyer, has strongly refuted the claim by former chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, that she is seeking an out-of-court settlement in their ongoing legal dispute.
In a statement to TheCable on Sunday, Alagwu described the assertions as “false, malicious, and entirely unfounded.”
The lawyer’s rebuttal follows a statement by Ayeni on November 25, where he alleged that Alagwu had approached his friends and associates in an attempt to negotiate a private settlement and warned them to desist from any involvement.
Ayeni, who is engaged in a contentious dispute with Alagwu after denying the paternity of her daughter, had publicly rejected the alleged settlement overtures last week, insisting the matter must be concluded in open court to restore his reputation.
Alagwu has now dismissed Ayeni’s claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of facts, stating that she has never, at any time, initiated, authorised, or entertained any conversation about a private settlement, directly or indirectly.
In a strongly worded statement, Alagwu insisted that the claim “should be disregarded in their entirety.”
She maintained that no individual was appointed to speak on her behalf regarding a settlement.
“My attention has been drawn to publications alleging that I have made overtures directly or indirectly towards an out-of-court settlement. This claim is entirely false,” Alagwu said in her statement.
“I have not initiated, authorised, encouraged, or pursued any form of settlement whether publicly or through so-called ‘back-door channels.’ No such conversation has ever taken place, and no individual has been appointed to speak on my behalf regarding settlement.
“These reports are a misrepresentation of the facts and should be disregarded. I will not be engaging further outside the appropriate legal channels.”
The paternity dispute between the two parties was a matter which the FCT customary court in Dawaki declined jurisdiction to hear.
Both Ayeni and Alagwu are currently before the FCT high court in Gwagwalada, in a separate case involving a disputed property.
The matter, which was initially scheduled for hearing on November 25, has now been adjourned to January 28, 2026, due to the court’s inability to sit.
Tunde Ayeni, 58, is a Nigerian lawyer, investor and business magnate.
He holds board positions on companies throughout Nigeria.
