Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony, was a businessman and philanthropist. He was a council President of the Lagos Stock Exchange and was a minority investor in Aero-Contractors before indigenous shares were acquired by the Ibru Organization
He died on May 26, 1991 at the age of 83years.
After passing on, being a philanthropist, he instructed his Estate Executor’s to give out part of his ocean of wealth annually to some public organization’s and institution’s as a way to celebrate his remembrance.
Unfortunately the Estate Executor’s was alleged by the Trustee to have failed to execute this wish in the last 29years that the deceased passed on.
Queen Irene Cole who is one of the Trustees stated that despite instituting charges against the Estate Executor’s and getting judgement in their favour, the Executor’s, Mr. Olajide Aleshinloye Williams and Dr. Abiola Reffell have refused to obey the ruling of the court on August 5, 2020.
In a ruling delivered by Justice S. A. Onigbanjo, of a Lagos High Court, on suit no: LD/3476GCMW/19, the judge granted the following relief;
An order removing the Executors/Trustees of the Estate of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony and replacing them with the following as Executors/Trustees/Executrix subject to provision of security as determined by the court.
(a) Dr Mrs Adedunmola Adio Moses
(b) Queen Irene Cole
and further directing that all the Estate documents, property certificates, shares certificates, dividend warrants be handed over to the new Trustees/Executors/Executrix forthwith.
A perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants from acting as Trustees/Executors of the Estate of Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony (Deceased), and representing themselves as such or tampering with the estate, its assets, accounts or howsoever dealing with the estate in any manner henceforth.
An order that the Executors/Trustees of record provide audited accounts of the Estate from 10/4/1991 till date, in line with the dictates of the Will.
An order permitting the new Trustees/Executors/Executrix as stated above to enter new signature mandates for the Estate accounts at:
(a) Union Bank Nig. Plc Account No. 151371221
(b) UBA Plc Account No. 20206062
(c) and such other accounts maintained by the Estate.
Queen Cole appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and relevant security agencies to arrest Mr. Jide Aleshinloye Williams and Dr. Abiola Reffell for the alleged fraud to help bring the last wishes of the Elderstateman to accomplishment.
She stated that both Williams and Reffell refused to give 21 Corporate beneficiaries their benefits as stipulated in the will been the Estate Executor’s.
“They continued to deprive the beneficiaries of what was left for them and never submitting an account for the estate all these years.
“SIR MOBOLAJI NOMINATED THEM IN HIS WILL THINKING HE COULD TRUST THEM. UNFORTUNATELY, IN THIS WORLD, IT IS THE PEOPLE WHOM YOU TRUST THAT BETRAY YOU.
“UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN THOUGH HE LEFT THEM A LOT OF MONEY, ALSO FOR THEMSELVES PERSONALLY; MONEY THAT ONE WOULD THINK WILL SATISFY THE GREEDIEST PEOPLE THAT ONE CAN IMAGINE, HOPING THAT HIS GENEROSITY TO THEM WOULD MAKE THEM FULFIL HIS DYING WISHES, YET THEY STILL DEPRIVED AND DEFRAUDED AND DID NOT FULFILL HIS LAST WISHES.
“SOME OF THESE BENEFICIARIES FOR 29 YEARS DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT SIR BANKS LEFT THEM ANYTHING. OTHERS RECEIVED A LITTLE MONEY FROM TIME TO TIME BUT GENERALLY THEY MISMANAGED, DEFRAUDED AND DIVERTED THE MONEY INTO THEIR OWN ACCOUNTS. She stated”
Some of the beneficiaries are:
1. IJEBU-ODE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, lJEBU-ODE OGUN STATE.
2. SIR MOBOLAJI BANK-ANTHONY CANCER RESEARCH FUNDS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, OYO STATE
3. SIR MOBOLAJI BANK-ANTHONY GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP SCHOLARSHIP FOR UROLOGY, NEPHROLOGY AND FORENSIC MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, OYO STATE.
4. NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE C/O THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA, LAGOS. CASH BENEFIT EVERY OTHER YEAR.
5. THE OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA, KADUNA.
6. THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND
7. THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND ANNUAL BENEFITS SPECIALLY FOR PROVISION OF TEACHING AIDS -ND MODERN EQUIPMENT AND APPLIANCES FOR THE BLIND.
8. THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND FULL SPONSORSHIP OF A NIGERIAN TO STUDY TEACHING AND CARING OF THE BLIND TO THE UNITED KINGDOM OR OTHER OVERSEAS COUNTRIES OR NIGERIA, CONDITIONED UPON THE RECIPIENT WILL RETURN TO TEACH AND CARE FOR THE BLIND IN NIGERIA.
9. BOYS SCOUT MOVEMENT OF NIGERIA
10. NATIONAL POST-GRADUATE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF NIGERIA LAGOS (CASH BENEFIT EVERY OTHER YEAR.)
11. PROVISIONS MADE TO BUILD A SCHOOL IN LAGOS, TO BE CALLED THE ALHAJA ABIODUN BANKANTHONY GIRLS SCHOOL
12. A MOSQUE TO BE DEVELOPED FROM ONE OF SIR BANKS PROPERTIES TO BE CALLED ALHAJA RABIATU MOSQUE.