Okoya’s estranged son still gets four flats, medical aid — Family

The family of billionaire businessman Razaq Okoya has denied claims that his estranged son, Fatai, has been left without support, saying he continues to receive financial assistance and has been given four flats in Surulere, Lagos.

The family said Fatai had also received help with medical bills, disputing his account of a decades-long estrangement from his father.

The position was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Nathaniel Omeninwan, Senior Public Relations Manager of Eleganza Industry Limited, who accused Fatai of taking private family disagreements into the public domain to attract sympathy and discredit other relatives.

Fatai recently appealed to his father for forgiveness, recounting a dispute over money and his marriage to a woman his father reportedly opposed.

While Fatai described himself as Okoya’s first child in his appeal, the family said he was the businessman’s third child.

The family also disputed the timeline of their estrangement, claiming Fatai had fallen out with his father and stopped visiting him long before Okoya married his wife, Shade.

According to the statement, Okoya had repeatedly said that children unwilling to respect, appreciate and abide by his wishes would have to provide for themselves.

However, the family maintained that Fatai had continued to benefit from his father’s assistance.

“Fatai Okoya has benefited immensely from his father and continues to benefit to date. He lives in, and has been given, four flats by his father in Ogunlana Surulere, and has at times been receiving payment for his medical bills,” the statement said.

The family further claimed that four influential friends intervened in the dispute more than 40 years ago during an overnight meeting, after which Okoya agreed to meet Fatai’s requests.

It also challenged Fatai’s account of an encounter with Shade during a medical outreach organised to mark Okoya’s 86th birthday.

Fatai had alleged that he attended the birthday celebration but was prevented from approaching his father.

However, the family said Shade was introduced to him at the medical outreach, after which another relative advised him that the event was not an appropriate setting to discuss his grievances.

According to the statement, Fatai accepted the advice and left the venue. The family added that Shade exchanged pleasantries with him and that several guests witnessed the encounter.

The family urged the public and media organisations to respect its privacy, insisting that private disagreements should not be settled on social media.

“No misunderstanding can be settled online,” the statement said, urging any family member with grievances against Okoya to use established private channels.

In his earlier appeal, Fatai said he had spent 40 years trying to reconcile with his father and asked him to forgive his past behaviour and give their relationship another chance.

He also said his daughter wanted to establish a relationship with her grandfather and appealed to people close to the businessman to help facilitate a reunion.