These are trying times for popular man about town Chief Rilwan Aleshinloye. The Lagos Times Exclusively gathered that not only has he been knocked down a rung or two of the social ladder in recent times, he is also in the fight of his life to stop his beloved Alesh Hotels from being confiscated by the authorities to settle a debt he allegedly owes.
That’s right, the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) has dragged the former husband of Lagos big girl Shade Alesh and his hotel before a federal high court over a ₦187.3 million alleged debt.
A copy of the affidavit filed before the court and obtained by The Lagos Times alleged that Alesh Hotels International had sometime in 2008 benefited from a ₦100 million loan facility granted by defunct Platinum Habib Bank (Bank PhB).
The facility was secured against a legal mortgage on Alesh International Hotel located at Alesh Hotel Road, Ajah and was duly signed by Chief Aleshinloye in his capacity as Chairman and CEO of Alesh Hotel International.
AMCON in their statement claimed further that Alesh and his hotel skillfully evaded paying back the loan and interest upon its due date, leading Bank PhB to serve letters of demand which the defendants ignored.
Having failed to recover the loan by fair means or foul, Bank PhB had no choice but to pass it off as a bad debt to AMCON through a loan purchase agreement. AMCON is therefore asking the court to compel the defendants to pay in full their outstanding indebtedness totalling ₦187.3 million as at January 31, 2018 or else forfeit the mortgaged property.
This is no doubt one case that the whole world is watching with keen interest. If Rilwan Alesh were to lose his hotel which is the jewel in his public crown, it would represent a very severe blow from which he might struggle to recover from.