Tunde Ayeni, a former chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, has shared how his relationship with his ex-mistress, Adaobi Alagwu, almost ruined his life and everything he worked hard for.
In a no-holds-barred interview with journalists published by Thisday, Ayeni described the relationship as one of the gravest mistakes of his life, lamenting how it spiraled from an attempt to protect his image into a battle for his sanity, dignity, and properties.
“When people refer to her as my ex-mistress, I hate to even hear it because it’s one of the darkest moments of my life. I regret ever meeting that lady,” he said. “Initially, I was trying to manage the entire episode to protect my family, reputation, and legacy. But it quickly became obvious to me that I was dealing with somebody who would go to any length to take advantage and blackmail me — with the support of her family.”
Ayeni said that he deliberately avoided responding publicly to the saga for a long time because of the damage such controversies could do to his local and international business interests. But he ultimately decided to confront it head-on.
“For someone like me, who often avoids social media drama because of the reputational fallout it raises for business both locally and internationally, I did not want anything that could negatively affect my image when checks are being cleared out,” he explained.
“Unfortunately, characters like this lady know this, and they take advantage of it, believing that people like me cannot come out like them on social media platforms. However, sometimes it gets to a point where, as a man, you just have to come out and fight your battle — and that’s exactly what I had to do, and it’s what I’m still doing.”
Asked if there was any truth to claims of a deeper relationship, Ayeni responded sharply: “What do you mean? It never happened, or how? She and her mother are desperate. I regret ever having anything to do with her and her entire family. I don’t even want to remember that period of my life. It is completely blocked out of my memory.”
He continued: “Most people don’t understand what actually happened. I can tell you for a fact that I’m not an irresponsible person. With hindsight, when all this started, and I saw all the red flags, I should have just walked away. People should take it as a lesson from me. Once you discover that you are in a circle you shouldn’t be, just cut the line and move on. Let the heavens fall if it has to.”
According to Ayeni, attempts he made in good faith to help Adaobi were weaponized against him:
“I was doing things that ordinarily I shouldn’t have done, like providing maintenance, even helping with accommodation, and so on. Those things that I did out of the goodness of my heart were used to blackmail me. That was why, at a point, I came out openly to say I did this — it’s all over — and I’m recovering everything that I can recover from her and her mother.”
On the legal front, Ayeni cited a ruling by a court in Abuja that cleared his name of all claims of paternity and any marital ties:
“As we speak, the Magistrate Court in Dawaki, Abuja, on March 11, 2025, ruled to the effect that there was no marital affair between the lady and myself and that I am not responsible for her child. In any case, I was never the father. The child is not mine.”
He revealed that he is now back in court to reclaim his properties:
“Now I’m back in court with her to recover my two houses from her and her mother, which they’re still occupying. It’s clear that people like them just like to reap where they did not sow. But this time, it will not work. They’ve been served the legal notice to immediately vacate my properties.”
When asked what lessons he had taken from the ordeal, Ayeni said the experience had been sobering and instructive: “A very big lesson. And for the sake of my name, my children, my wife, and my legacy, I have learnt so much during this period. It is only good for people to watch very carefully before they make friends. I have also identified roles some of my friends played during this period.”
He added: “There is no need for men to have a relationship that has no meaning or value. These sorts of relationships come with short moments of pleasure but with huge, devastating consequences. As a responsible man, you don’t need it. It was a distraction for me — especially when the person involved is one who can misbehave without thinking of the dire consequences of their actions. That is exactly what Adaobi did.”
Ayeni credited his family, especially his wife and children, for standing by him through the storm: “From the bottom of my heart, I must thank my family very well because they stood by me, especially my wife and my children. At a point, I had to come clean to them. They understood, and to date, they still stand with me. Even though my actions were not permissible, they understood, and together, we’ve been able to weather the storm.”
Asked whether he has any lingering regrets, Ayeni didn’t hold back: “My singular regret in all of this is the fact that I ever came across Adaobi Alagwu in my life. This is the reason why I have boldly taken all the steps you’ve read about — from the disclaimers in the national dailies to the letters to the Nigerian Immigration Service to the cease-and-desist letters to the sworn affidavit.”
He expressed disgust at continued online smear campaigns and attempts to drag his wife into the saga: “I was taken aback when I saw reports online emanating from Ada and her cohorts that my wife was behind the media reports. It further dawned on me that I had gotten myself involved with a fellow I should not have gotten involved with in the first instance.”
“Sometimes, when people feel insulted, they can use N1 million to fight to recover N10,000 — not because you cannot overlook it, but because if people think you are stupid, you have to prove to them that you are not. I can promise you that she and her mother will not succeed in their bid to reap where they did not sow.”