A 55-year-old Nigerian woman, June Ashimola, has successfully reclaimed her £350,000 home in Woolwich, southeast London, after being falsely declared dead in a fraudulent scheme.
Appearing via video link from Nigeria, Ashimola convinced the UK High Court that she was alive and had been the victim of an elaborate scam aimed at seizing her estate.
According to DailyMail, Ashimola was wrongfully declared dead in February 2019, leading to power of attorney over her estate being granted to Ruth Samuel. Samuel acted on behalf of a fictitious individual, Bakare Lasisi, who falsely claimed to have married Ashimola in 1993.
During the hearing, Deputy Master John Linwood ruled that the supposed marriage was fabricated and that “Lasisi” did not exist. Court records showed that Ashimola had left the UK for Nigeria in 2018 and had not returned since. By October 2022, Samuel had been awarded power of attorney on behalf of the non-existent Lasisi, who then attempted to claim her property.
The court found that the entire scheme was orchestrated by Tony Ashikodi, a convicted fraudster who had previously served three years in prison for obtaining property by deception.
Describing the case as one filled with “fraud, forgery, impersonation, and intimidation,” Deputy Master Linwood stated, “This is an unusual probate claim in that the deceased says she is very much alive.”
Despite visa difficulties preventing Ashimola from appearing in person, the court verified her identity through passport photographs and dismissed the fraudulent claims against her estate.
In his ruling, the judge stated, “I find Ms. Ashimola is alive and that the death certificate was forged or fraudulently produced.
Her alleged death was part of Mr. Tony Ashikodi’s attempt to take control of the property.”
He further declared the marriage certificate to be fraudulent and ruled that Ashikodi and Samuel had either produced or knowingly relied on falsified documents.
As a result, the court revoked the fraudulent power of attorney, restoring Ashimola’s rightful ownership of her property.
However, legal costs for both sides have exceeded £150,000, an amount that may surpass the property’s actual equity value.
