Child Abuse: Father in court for abandoning children

A father of three, Mr. Okeji Felix, was on Monday arraigned before a Lagos High Court for allegedly abandoning and disregarding the welfare of his children since their mother’s death.

Two of the children, Chioma, 15 and Nonso, 13 (not real names), were said to have been withdrawn from school since the demise of their mother, with their father refusing to foot the bills and provide for their upkeep.

The defendant ‘s eldest daughter, Chika who is now late, had filed a suit against their father before Justice S.B.A. Candide Johnson over his conduct and she had pursued the matter until her death earlier this year.

The remains of Chika however is said to be lying in the mortuary after Okeji allegedly refused to let family members bury her on the same land where her mother was buried.

During the proceedings, Okeji’s brother-in-laws, Mr. Oliver Oku, pleaded for the custody of the living children who he claimed to have been sponsoring their education with the help of one Reverend Sister Ugochukwu Abakuru

He alleged that after the death of his eldest daughter, Okeji had totally neglected them and they were not even living together since their mother’s demise.

He also said that since the children left Meiran where they lived with Okeji, he never cared to visit to find out how they fared, which was why he was seeking custody.

In his response, the defendant, Felix Okeji denied the allegations that he didn’t want to bury his deceased daugther on her mother’s land, but he did not have the financial strength to foot the bills as he needed family assistance.

He told the court that he would be going to the village to speak with family members at Umunnoha village in Imo state, concerning the burial.

Okeji further stated that he was paying Chioma’s N30,000 school fees while Nonso attended a government school in Meiran until he could no longer afford to foot the bills due to lack of funds.

He also argued for 30 percent of his late wife’s estates and properties while 70percent be given to the daughters and not the people they now lived with.

After listening to the argument of both parties, Justice S.B.A. Candide Johnson, remarked that the Child’s Rights Law of Lagos state was being domesticated in recent times. He said that the children’s upkeep was not to be neglected and it should be paramount especially in this matter.

Johnson also ruled that the custody of the living children (Chisom (15) and Ifeanyi (13) should be granted to the mother’s brother while N500,000 be released from their late mother’s bank account for the burial of their late elder sister who is to be buried in her mother’s land beside her. The matter was adjourned till May 10, 2017 for further hearing.