One of Nigeria’s most celebrated comedians, Ali Baba, has been removed from his commercial premises in the upscale Victoria Island area of Lagos.
The eviction marks the final chapter in a complex legal saga centred on the disputed ownership of the property.
The controversy began when AMCON, tasked with recovering bad debts, seized the property from Harold Expansion Industries Nigeria Limited.
The corporation subsequently sold the asset to the comedian for a reported N220 million in 2021. Ali Baba, who had been a tenant in the building prior to the seizure, proceeded with the purchase.
This development comes just weeks after a landmark court ruling that delivered a stinging rebuke to the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
Read Also: Tiwa Savage Claps Back At Fans’ Retirement Advice
The enforcement action was carried out pursuant to a writ of possession authorised by the Federal High Court, effectively returning the asset to its original owner.
This transaction, however, was conducted under a legal shadow. The property was the subject of an ongoing lawsuit, and a preservation order was already in effect, barring any transfer of ownership.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa’s ruling on July 31, 2025, proved pivotal. The court found that AMCON “failed to provide evidence of the alleged debt” that had justified the seizure and sale in the first place.
Consequently, the judge not only voided the sale to Ali Baba but also imposed a hefty N500 million penalty in damages against the government debt-recovery agency for its overreach. The eviction of the comedian and his company, thus, represents the physical enactment of the court’s decision, underscoring the legal perils of acquiring assets entangled in litigation.
