For years, Abayomi Arodu and Oluwatoyin Osho had lived like brothers. Arodu is Osho’s uncle, being a younger brother to Osho’s mum.
They had such a strong relationship that when Arodu took ill sometime in 2009 and wanted to travel to India for a medical procedure, he handed over his family and businesses to Osho. That was because Arodu was unsure of his return, judging from the severity of his ill health.
According to Arodu, “I entrusted all my landed property into his care with the conclusion that I may not make it back to Nigeria. I had thought I would die as a result of the sickness then, but God’s mercy saw me through and preserved my life.”
Arodu said that his nephew had offered him some millions of naira when he was travelling, which he turned down because his company had already taken care of all his travel expenses with additional funds.
“All I needed was just for him to be there for my family while I was away,” he said.
When he returned after four months, he met with Osho with a view to repaying the loan he had used to support his (Arodu’s) business. He found out that Osho had spent millions of naira to the tune of N19.8 million to sustain the smooth running of the business.
The process of repaying that debt set the ground for what had lingered for 10 years as a family feud between the two men. The matter had gone from police stations to the court and was wrongly reported by a national newspaper that Arodu duped his nephew of N9.8 million.
In reality, Osho had stood in for Arodu by managing his private business with his personal funds.
Arodu had sought Osho’s understanding on the gradual repayment of the loan. Osho had committed the sum of N19.8 million, out of which Arodu has paid N10 million, while a balance of N9.8 million remained.
According to Arodu, Osho refused to come for amicable draft of the loan repayment schedule, even when some family elders intervened.
Osho refused to show up, making it difficult for comfortable terms of payment for him then.
Meanwhile, another family problem arose between the two men, which made the gentleman’s agreement between them to be discarded. Rather, what was a brotherly gesture turned into a quarrel that led them to police stations and eventually a magistrate court in Ogba, Lagos.
That was aggravated by Osho, who was also having some personal issues and experiencing some frustrations in his business, which needed money to be sorted out immediately.
Hence, he went to his uncle to claim the balance of his money while both were still recovering from the family feud that was unrelated to the money. That was how the transaction degenerated into a case for police stations and eventually landed in court.
Luckily for the two, the presiding magistrate at that time, after hearing their cases, threw out the matter and told them to go and settle at home as brothers should.
But a reporter of a national newspaper had picked up the story and reported that Arodu had duped Osho of N9.8 million—a report even Osho himself was shocked to see.
According to Osho, “It was the little family issue that we had that got escalated and my own financial pressures. But from Mowe, Isheri, to Area G Ogba Police Stations and to the Magistrate Court, there was never a day I said my uncle duped me. I only said he was owing me. My statement is still at Area G police station and even court records can show that. I had no single idea why the newspaper said I accused my uncle of defrauding me. That story still baffles me till date. There is no way I could have accused a man, who is like a father to me, of duping me. That’s not possible. I maintain till today and even up to the time of going to my grave that my uncle never duped me.”
Asked how he thought the story of the fraud against Arodu came about, Osho said he suspected that some unscrupulous police officers and some court officials must have twisted the story to that.
“I was even shocked to see the story in a newspaper. I have gone to the newspaper to narrate my story but that does not seem enough. I want to state again that my uncle never duped me of N9.8 million. It was a misunderstanding that arose from a family issue that triggered the whole thing, which we have settled at home,” he said.
Arodu felt that the story could have landed him in prison and tarnished his reputation as an honest worker and businessman.
However, Osho said at that time, he felt embittered that he wasn’t appreciated for his efforts and love towards his uncle (Arodu) and his immediate family members.
Osho maintained that the police added to the issue, which prompted him to take action against his uncle up to the court. He said he was accused of gun possession, which was not true.
“Again, I felt abandoned by my uncle when I needed him most at the first police station, which was the reason I wrote a petition against him,” he said.
However, Osho is today sorry and still bothered, 10 years later. He believed that he had wronged his uncle beyond bounds. He maintained that he never accused his uncle of defrauding him nor did he arrange for the reporter to come cover the court proceedings.
Rather, he alleged that it was either the reporter picked the story from court when the proceedings was on and made a wrong publication about it or unscrupulous police officers who got the story twisted.
“I never accused my uncle of defrauding me nor did I arrange for any reporter to publish a false report about him,” he said.
“I don’t do the kind of business he does. So, I couldn’t have said I gave him money to buy goods that I know nothing about for me. It’s just not possible. I didn’t say that at all,” he emphatically stated.
He added that though he was deeply hurt and was naughty out of frustration, he did not accuse his uncle of defrauding him.
However, the remaining part of the loan (N9.8 million) has since been balanced and all grievances settled. The brothers and family members are all now united and living like one happy family that should be.
Osho expressed gratitude to his uncle for putting a closure to the 10-year row in the family by accepting him back as the proverbial father to the prodigal son. “I am grateful to my uncle/father. Words are not enough to convey the weight of my appreciation. I’m also using this same medium to apologise for the inconvenience I might have caused him and his family, especially his image. And I hope he truly finds it easy in his heart to forgive me,” he concluded.
He apologised to his uncle, his immediate family, and the entire Arodu family.
