A 55-year-old Nigerian woman, June Ashimola, who was falsely declared dead in 2019, has successfully reclaimed her £350,000 home in Woolwich, southeast London, after a UK High Court ruling.
Appearing via video link from Nigeria, Ashimola testified before Deputy Master John Linwood, asserting her existence and exposing the fraudulent scheme aimed at seizing her property.
The court learned that Ashimola had left the UK for Nigeria in 2018. In her absence, a group led by convicted fraudster Tony Ashikodi falsely declared her dead in February 2019, presenting a forged death certificate to claim her estate. They also fabricated a marriage between Ashimola and a fictitious individual named Bakare Lasisi, enabling them to obtain power of attorney over her assets.
Deputy Master Linwood described the case as “an unusual probate claim in that the deceased says she is very much alive.” He found that the marriage certificate and death certificate were forgeries and revoked the fraudulently obtained power of attorney. The judge concluded that Ashikodi had orchestrated the scheme to seize control of Ashimola’s property.
This ruling restores Ashimola’s rightful ownership of her home, though the court noted that legal costs incurred by both parties have exceeded £150,000, potentially surpassing the property’s equity value.
