Bailiffs of the Federal High Court in Lagos have evicted popular comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, and his company, XQZMOI TV, from a luxury property located at No. 324A Akin Ogunlewe Street, Victoria Island.
The eviction, which took place on Thursday, August 28, 2025, followed the execution of a writ of possession signed by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on August 15, 2025. The action comes after the court nullified the controversial sale of the property by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and ordered its return to the family of the original owner, now deceased, and his company, Harold Expansion Industries Nigeria Limited.
Court Ruling
In a judgment delivered on July 31, 2015, Justice Lewis-Allagoa dismissed AMCON’s claims that Harold Expansion Industries was indebted to the defunct Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank) to the tune of N617 million. Instead, the court upheld the company’s counterclaim, ruling that the sale of the Victoria Island property was unlawful and ordering its reversal.
AMCON had alleged that the company obtained loans totaling N129 million in 2008, which were later restructured. The corporation subsequently sold the property for N220 million to offset part of the alleged debt. However, Harold Expansion Industries denied the debt, insisting that deductions had been made from inception and that the bank’s claim was unfounded.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa faulted AMCON for failing to present critical evidence, including the company’s statement of account, which he described as “fatal to its case.” He ruled that AMCON’s claim lacked proof and therefore could not stand.
The court further upheld all the reliefs sought by Harold Expansion Industries in its counterclaim, including an order setting aside the sale, the restoration of the property to the family, and damages of N500 million against AMCON.
Ali Baba’s Involvement
Investigations revealed that Ali Baba purchased the property from AMCON in 2021 for N220 million, while the case was still pending in court. He and his company, XQZMOI, had fully occupied the premises, using it as a studio space.
The property, which consists of two large duplexes—one facing the Atlantic Ocean—was originally owned by Harold Expansion Industries. Sources allege that the family was forcefully evicted during the AMCON takeover and given less than five hours to vacate. The original owner reportedly died not long after the eviction.
By Friday, a day after the eviction order was enforced, Ali Baba was said to have removed his vehicles, multimillion-naira studio equipment, and other movable assets from the premises.
