In a dramatic turn of events, veteran comedian Ali Baba and his company XQZMOI TV have been forcibly evicted from a luxurious Victoria Island property worth N220 million following a complex legal battle over property ownership and debt recovery.
Federal High Court bailiffs executed the eviction order on August 28, 2025, at 324A Akin Ogunlewe Street, Victoria Island, after a writ of possession was signed on August 15, 2025. The eviction marks the culmination of a protracted legal dispute that has exposed significant flaws in Nigeria’s asset recovery processes and raised questions about due diligence in high-value property transactions.
The controversy stems from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria’s (AMCON) controversial sale of the property to Ali Baba in 2021. AMCON, the federal government’s debt recovery agency, had claimed the property from Harold Expansion Industries Nigeria Limited, alleging unpaid debts that necessitated the asset seizure and subsequent sale.
However, in a scathing judgment delivered on July 31, 2025, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court dismissed AMCON’s case, ruling that the corporation had failed to provide credible evidence of the alleged debt owed by Harold Expansion Industries. The judge’s ruling dealt a significant blow to AMCON’s credibility and asset recovery methods.
“The court found AMCON’s case fundamentally flawed,” legal experts familiar with the matter explained, noting that the corporation’s inability to substantiate its debt claims undermined its authority to seize and sell the property in the first place.
The judgment ordered the immediate return of the property to Harold Expansion Industries, its original owner, and imposed a hefty N500 million fine in damages against AMCON—more than double the property’s sale price. This punitive award reflects the court’s view of the severity of AMCON’s procedural failures.
Ali Baba’s involvement in the controversy appears to be a case of unfortunate timing rather than deliberate wrongdoing. The celebrated comedian, whose real name is Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, had previously been a tenant of the original property owners before AMCON’s seizure. However, his decision to purchase the property during ongoing litigation, despite an existing preservation order, has now resulted in his eviction and potential financial losses.
The case highlights critical weaknesses in Nigeria’s asset recovery framework and raises serious questions about AMCON’s due diligence processes. For Ali Baba, one of Nigeria’s most respected entertainment figures, who has built his career over several decades, the eviction represents not just a property loss but a significant reputational challenge.
The comedian has not yet issued a public statement regarding the eviction, and it remains unclear whether he will pursue legal action against AMCON for selling him a property the court has now determined was wrongfully seized.
This high-profile case is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of AMCON’s operations and could influence future asset recovery procedures in Nigeria’s financial sector. The N500 million damages award against the corporation also raises questions about the financial implications for the federal agency and, ultimately, Nigerian taxpayers.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Veteran comedian Ali Baba has been evicted from his N220 million Victoria Island property after a Federal High Court ruled that AMCON (the government’s debt recovery agency) had no legal right to seize and sell the property in the first place. The court found AMCON failed to prove any debt existed and ordered the property returned to its original owner while fining AMCON N500 million in damages.
