By A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

A quiet family feud is threatening to erupt into one of Nigeria?s biggest inheritance disputes as the youngest sons of the late Air Marshal Ibrahim Alfa demand justice over the distribution of their father?s estate, a full 25 years after his death.

Mustapha Ibrahim Alfa, 30, and Rilwan Ibrahim Alfa, 29, the biological sons of the late Air Marshal, have come forward with claims that the Alfa family has refused to distribute their father?s will or share his estate among his rightful heirs, including his wives and children, since his passing on March 16, 2000.

?We inherited nothing. Not a property, not a document, not even a word from the will. Everything was kept away from us as if we do not exist,? said Mustapha. ?This is no longer about money. It is about dignity, justice, and restoring the good name of our father, who gave his life to this country.?

The late Air Marshal Ibrahim Alfa was one of Nigeria?s most respected military leaders. Rising to become the nation?s Chief of Air Staff, Alfa also served as the Military Governor of Kaduna State from 1978 to 1979 under General Olusegun Obasanjo?s government. His leadership brought order and development to the state, and his reputation as a disciplined, fair, and principled man remains part of his enduring legacy.

But behind this public legacy lies a private battle. According to the Alfa brothers, their family elders, particularly some of their older siblings and extended relatives, have refused to share the estate, selling properties and assets without any formal division or discussion of the will. The result, they claim, has been decades of hardship for their mothers, themselves, and their other siblings.

?Our mothers gave up their rights, trusted the family, and were betrayed,? said Rilwan. ?While we struggled to survive, some family members enjoyed the wealth left behind. Now that we are adults, we have a responsibility to our father, to ourselves, and to the truth to bring this injustice to an end.?

The brothers Insist they have made every effort to resolve the matter quietly but have been met with excuses, deception, and silence. Now they are warning that unless the family agrees to a fair and open sharing of the estate in line with Islamic law and justice, they will take the case to court publicly and transparently.

They have also called on human rights organizations and legal advocates to support their cause, framing the dispute as a larger fight for fairness in Nigerian family inheritance practices.

If this battle reaches court, it may uncover uncomfortable truths about the handling of the estate of one of Nigeria?s greatest military heroes and could set a historic precedent for inheritance disputes in the country.

For now, the Alfa brothers are withholding names and specific legal documents in hopes of a peaceful family resolution, but the clock is ticking. The nation watches as a private family wound threatens to spill into public view, rewriting the legacy of Air Marshal Ibrahim Alfa in the process.

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