The popular Nigerian comedian Ali Baba has been violently evicted from his luxury residence on Victoria Island in Lagos following the judge of the High Federal Court nullifying the sale of the house. It was held by the court that since there was a pending litigation, ACN sold the property illegally, and thus, ordered for the return of the property to the original owners and further stipulated that AMCON pays damages of ₦500 million.
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This has generated a lot of discussion online, with many having different reactions about the unexpected eviction of one of the most popular comedians in Nigeria from his multi-million naira abode. The property is an estate located at Victoria Island, Lagos. The property was sold by AMCON at the unheard of price of ₦220 million, with Ali Baba being the alleged purchaser.
AMCON in its pleadings maintained that Harold Expansion Industries was debtor unto AMCON to the tune of ₦617 million for a loan granted in 2008 by Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank). The court found that AMCON could not prove the existence of such indebtedness with credible evidence, for no account statement was put before them in proof of such a claim. On July 31st, 2025, the court found that the sale was effected while the suit for the cancellation of the sale was still pending before it and it was also in violation of a preservation order issued by the court. The court therefore declared the sale null and void.
Social media have now erupted into an opinionated commentary on the issue, with many users giving a rather comprehensive account of the complex air surrounding the case. One user adds a more critical perspective: “Alibaba bought the house in 2022, not knowing that the house case is still in court”. The implication is that there was an enormous oversight in the process of acquiring this property.
Another user went on to give a particularly professional perspective: “I sell and buy properties. The first and only one thing I emphasize, repeat and say almost every 30 minutes to my clients is – do your due diligence. Before even 1k is paid for a property, I tell them to vet and VERIFY all documents to avoid stories that touch.”
There were also some political commentaries that began to wither: “This dude was so vocal during GEJ but now no one hears from him. Serves him right.” The allusion to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan suggests that some see this case through an entirely political lens.
There were even more serious allegations from one poster: “Alibaba’s wife was the Chief Executive with Bank PHB when it went into distress and AMCON took over the property worth N600m tied to a loan, and was sold to Alibaba, her husband at N200m. This is actually a connived fraud perpetuated by Alibaba and his wife.” Such unconfirmed allegations only serve to further complicate the discourse.
According to court records, the eviction occurred on 15th August 2025, with the property ordered to be restored to the original owners. At the same time, the court ordered that AMCON pay Harold Expansion Industries ₦500 million as damages. It is not clear whether Ali Baba would get any refund of his ₦220 million with legal experts saying this might be something he has to pursue in separate proceedings against AMCON.
A case like this is a cautionary tale with regard to transactions in properties in Nigeria, especially when it involves assets caught up by debt recovery agencies. It places the focus on diligence and verification of legitimacy before any lawyer is asked to take his client’s instructions for high-value real estate transactions, especially when the lawyer is acquainted with the complex ownership history of the property in question.
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The race is still on to determine how AMCON and Ali Baba will respond to the court ruling and whether there will be any further court action regarding the horrendous financial losses suffered by the comedian in the now-lost property.
