Veteran Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, has lost ownership of his Victoria Island property in Lagos following a court order.
The eviction took place on Friday, September 6, 2025, after a writ of possession was issued by the Federal High Court.
The order, signed on August 15, directed that the property be returned to its original owner. The enforcement also affected Ali Baba’s media company, XQZMOI TV, which operated from the same premises.
The property, located in one of Lagos’s most expensive neighbourhoods, was sold to Ali Baba in 2021. Records show that he purchased it for N220 million through the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). The transaction was part of AMCON’s recovery drive to offset debts allegedly owed by Harold Expansion Industries Nigeria Limited.
However, the sale quickly became the subject of a legal dispute. The original owner of the property challenged AMCON’s decision, insisting that the takeover and sale were unlawful.
The case dragged on for several years before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa delivered judgment on July 31, 2025.
In his ruling, Justice Allagoa dismissed AMCON’s claims. He said the corporation failed to provide clear evidence of the alleged debt owed by Harold Expansion Industries.
As a result, the court nullified the sale and ordered that the property be restored to its original owner.
The court also imposed heavy sanctions on AMCON. In addition to losing the case, the corporation was ordered to pay N500 million in damages to the dispossessed owner.
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For Ali Baba, the court’s decision came as a heavy blow. Before buying the property, he had been a tenant of the same building under its original owner.
He reportedly went ahead with the purchase in 2021 while the case was still in court, despite an existing preservation order that barred any transfer of ownership.
Legal experts say this timing exposed him to liability. Though he paid a substantial sum for the property, the comedian’s ownership could not stand once the court voided AMCON’s authority to sell it.
Sources close to the matter revealed that the eviction notice was served weeks earlier, giving Ali Baba and his company time to vacate. Still, the official enforcement on Friday drew attention across social media, with many fans expressing sympathy for the comedian.
The case highlights growing concerns over AMCON’s handling of seized assets. Critics argue that the agency often sells properties under legal dispute, exposing buyers to future court battles. The Federal High Court’s ruling in this case adds weight to those criticisms.
For now, Ali Baba faces the loss of both a prime property and a workplace for his company. What steps he will take next remain uncertain.
