…Rejects Allegation Celebrant Spent Hundreds Of Millions On Guests
Ayomide Awe
A legal practitioner and chartered accountant, Dr Gbenga Adeoye, has dismissed reports suggesting that Justice Babatunde Demola Bakre Junior sponsored hundreds of guests to attend his 60th birthday celebration in The Gambia.
Adeoye in a statement obtaied by PLATFORM TIMES on Saturday, described the claims as false and misleading, insisting that guests who attended the celebration travelled at their own expense, while family members and friends supported some aspects of the activities.
The celebration, which attracted prominent Nigerians and guests from different parts of the world, was held in The Gambia, with activities including golf, cocktail parties, an all-white disco night and a dinner.
In an account aimed at correcting what he described as widespread misconceptions about the event, Adeoye said he personally confronted some people discussing the alleged sponsorship at a coffee shop opposite the Senegambia Hotel, the venue of one of the birthday activities, on Friday, October 30, 2026.
According to him, some individuals at the shop claimed that the celebrant had spent hundreds of millions of naira to transport about 300 people to The Gambia and provide their accommodation, feeding and other expenses.
Adeoye, however, said he challenged the claims, explaining that the guests independently financed their trips because of their personal relationships with the celebrant.
He said, “I said capital NO, NO, NO. Every participant paid for the trip and hotel, while some other aspects of the events were sponsored by family and friends.
“Golfers came to play to celebrate one of their own at their own cost. People came for love. They sacrificed time and money.”
The former lecturer said his own experience demonstrated the commitment of the guests, explaining that he travelled from Nigeria to the United States on October 24 and returned on October 28 before flying to The Gambia on October 29 to attend the birthday celebration.
He added that he almost missed the trip because he initially forgot to complete his registration before the deadline.
Adeoye said the celebrant’s elder sister, Tokunbo Adenekan, intervened after learning of his intention to attend, prompting arrangements for him to join the travelling party.
He maintained that the experience reinforced his position that the gathering was driven by friendship and affection rather than financial inducement.
Explaining why he considered the allegations particularly damaging, Adeoye said the celebrant came from a family known for modest living and strong personal values.
He recalled that the celebrant’s father, Justice Demola Bakre OON (Senior), who retired from the judiciary, had once persuaded his son to abandon a thriving legal practice in Abuja to join the Ogun State judiciary.
According to Adeoye, the senior Bakre had expressed concerns about the excessive pursuit of wealth, arguing that a comfortable and modest life was more important than accumulating material possessions.
He quoted the retired judge as asking, “How many houses do you need in life?”
Adeoye said the conversation reflected the family’s philosophy of simplicity, adding that the celebrant eventually accepted the opportunity to serve on the bench.
