17th June, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
In the unfolding legal and personal dispute involving Nigerian footballer Kayode Olanrewaju and his estranged wife, Dora Ezinne, Kayode’s legal team, Alexime Law Associates, has taken decisive steps to address the rumour about the paternity of his children.
Recently, accusations circulating on social media suggested that Kayode is not the biological father of the three children he shares with Dora. The allegation which was widely circulated, according to the legal team, “is capable of causing significant emotional distress and damage to Kayode’s reputation and the integrity of his family.”
This is contained in a statement made available to the press by the law firm on Monday, in Lagos.
In an earlier letter dated May 26, 2024, and made public, Kayode’s attorneys had initiated a comprehensive response to the claim, demanding that the media platforms responsible for spreading the rumour disclose their sources. The legal team argued that the baseless allegation was part of a concerted effort to malign Kayode’s character and disrupt his family life. They opined that the accusations had been orchestrated by Dora as a diversion from her own alleged misconduct.
The legal representatives said they have identified several blogs and media outlets that published the disputed story and have begun issuing formal letters to these entities, demanding the disclosure of their sources or any evidence supporting the claims of DNA test results.
“We have prepared and sent a copy of this legal document to one of the originators of the story according to other news platforms that quoted her, one Dr. Ruth Emosiluamhe Agbukor, who had tweeted about the supposed DNA test results from her handle @rutie_xx. Her post suggested that none of Kayode’s children with Dora were biologically his, a claim that reached millions of people and was further amplified by other social media platforms.” The team disclosed.
In the letter, Kayode’s legal team demanded that Dr. Agbukor reveal the source of her information, suggesting that her post was part of a broader defamation campaign possibly sponsored by Dora. They also required her to delete the false story from all social media platforms and issue a public retraction to correct the misinformation. The attorneys warned that failure to comply could lead to legal action for libel and potential charges under the Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, citing the severe impact of the rumour on Kayode’s reputation and family.
This controversy is entrenched in ongoing conflicts between Kayode and Dora, which include allegations of forgery of personal and official documents, theft of two Mercedes SUVs worth over N700m and immoveable properties worth billions of Naira, infidelity involving a Uk-based Nigerian Pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, and financial misconduct.
In recent statements, Kayode’s legal team had claimed that since March 24, 2024, Dora has absconded with their children to an undisclosed location in Abuja and attempted to flee the country by obtaining new passports through illegal means. The team said the alleged plan was thwarted when the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) intervened in April.
Additionally, Dora was also accused of conspiring to misappropriate Kayode’s assets, actions that his attorneys asserted were part of a broader scheme to undermine him financially and justify her actions.
The team has reiterated that their client will not issue a public disclaimer about the DNA report, arguing that such a move would imply his involvement in the spread of the rumour.
“We are focused on uncovering the true sources of this allegation to support our client’s case and restore his reputation, knowing that this media manoeuvres is part of a broader strategy to shift focus away from the substantive issues of fraud and misconduct by Dora. But we are committed to uncovering the source of the story as are working with intelligence operatives who have shown an impressive interest to also uncover the source,” the team concluded.
