By Gabriel Princewill-
John Fashanu spent his 64th birthday last Saturday with some of his children, but was photographed with two of them alongside his daughter Amal. Sitting next to Amal is Alana, a British athlete who has never been in the limelight of her father’s fame.
She is daughter to the ex footballer’s second wife, Melissa Kassa-Mapsi- a Congolese-Gabonese model and son of a wealthy diplomat. On his right, is one of his sons.The former England footballer and Gladiators presenter has been at the centre of a bitter family and business dispute involving his wife, Vivian, his daughter Amal, and a lucrative piece of land in Abuja 9 acres in size. He spent nearly a month in Ghana for an impromptu holiday with his daughter Amal, her husband, Mohammed Odaymat, and her mother , Marisol Acuña Duenas- a former Spanish model , where they appeared to be having plenty if fun, which was regularly posted on the star’s social media page. Fashanu also personally selected a £97k top of the range jeep, formerly owned by Sir jim Radcliffe.
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Amal says she is protecting her father’s business and well being and not interested in money
That piece of land became the subject of a protracted legal suit, after Fashanu entered multiple contracts with potential buyers who failed to fulfil their contractual obligations to develop the land within a particular time frame, and maximise profit. One of the star’s lawyers told The Eye Of Media that the contract lapsed due to ‘the ‘effluxtion of time’, and a number of other prospective buyers sought to fill in the gap and perform the same function, only to renege on their contractual arrangement themselves. More prospective buyers were recommended to the former England International , leading to one of the aggrieved former potential buyers involving the police, leading to an arrest in 2024.
Fashanu then lodged a civil suit against the Nigerian police, which has been adjourned about five times. Whilst that suit was going on one of the potential buyers seized the Certificate of Occupancy, after requesting it from one of John’s lawyers on the pretext of cutting a quick deal. Fashanu immediately lodged a legal suit against that lawyer. That separate matter has had three hearings already, with the next one taking place in October, next month. The protracted litigation with the former player led to an eventual deal of a £1.8bn clearance fee(£800k) for the land. Lawyers who have been locked in litigation over the land for the certificate of occupancy seized by one of the litigant’s lawyer, and a two year legal suit for a violation of fundamental Human Rights case, advised John and his wife to accept the cheaper deal to avoid a protracted case on the matter, but the footballer’s wife was adamant that the much low price amounted to a reap off.
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The former soccer star has not been to his property in Abuja since he announced the divorce on facebook last August, and is currently in the UK after spending a whole month in Ghana with his daughter and her mother. he said he will go back in due course when he is ready.
Fashanu is caught up between wife and daughter
John’s wife insists his daughter is getting too involved in their marriage, and orchestrated the divorce announcement on instagram in August as a revenge mechanism for the instagram video he made denouncing a claim she made in the UK’s Daily Mail in May.
John Fashanu pictured with his third wife, Vivian
Vivian also believes Amal’s actions amounted to a ploy to control the price and sale of the land, and freeze her out of the deal. She has also taken issue with the fact her husband’s two phones are off, meaning that Amal is not allowing her husband communicate the alleged divorce with her directly. With his birthday passing and no communication whatsoever from her husband, these are worrying times. Vivian told this publication over a week ago that many of John’s friends have been contacting her to speak with John, but because of his daughter, this has not been possible.
Amal , who has been in communication with this writer in the past week, was contacted for comment.
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