Friday, March 29, 2024

Precious, Fani-Kayode’s estranged wife seeks custody of children, N3.4m monthly allowance

Uba Group

BY LINUS CHIBUIKE 

PRECIOUS Chikwendu, estranged wife of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has dragged the Peoples Democratic Party chieftain before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, seeking, among others, the custody of the four children produced by the marriage.

She is however willing to consider “reasonable right of access to the respondent.”

Precious is also asking the court to restrain Fani-Kayode and her agents from “forcibly abducting” the children from her custody.

She is praying the court to order the former minister to pay a monthly allowance of N3.438million to her for the upkeep of the children, aside from funds for their educational needs and other ancillary expenses.

She reiterated, in an affidavit supporting her suit, marked, ‘CV/372/2021’, filed by her lawyer, Mrs. E. D. Moi-Wuyep, that Fani-Kayode allegedly subjected her to both verbal and physical abuses during their six-year relationship.

When the case was mentioned on Friday, Justice Sylvanus Oriji said the defendant had acknowledged receipt of the summons served on him through his phone conversation with the plaintiff.

The judge made the clarification based on his lawyers’ claim that he had not been properly served with the court’s documents.

The case was adjourned till March 12, 2021 for formal report of service.

In the supporting affidavit, Precious recalled that she met the former minister sometime in 2014 at the age of 24.

She said she then moved into his house at No. 5, Zuma Close, Off Udi Hills Street, Aso Drive, Abuja.

She stated, “That the relationship was blessed with four beautiful children: Master Aragorn Fani-Kayode (5 years), Master Ragnar Fani-Kayode (2 years), Master Aiden Fani-Kayode(2 years), and Master Liam Fani-Kayode (2 years).

“My relationship with the respondent had been a turbulent and unhappy one. The respondent was in the habit of beating me up during every quarrel.

“My relationship with the respondent witnessed fear, harassment, and series of assault both perpetrated by the respondent himself or with the use of the Nigerian Police Force, his security details and, or his personal bodyguards.

“From the early days of our relationship, the respondent has always maintained a lifestyle of utter disregard to my feelings.

“This was evident in the way and manner the respondent assaulted me while pregnant with our first son, Aragorn. The respondent kicked me severally on my stomach over a petty argument that ensued.

“It was my friend, Vanessa who was around at the material time that intervened at the nick of time to save me. I had to leave the respondent’s house a few days after this incident.

“The respondent repeated the same act when I was pregnant with the triplets, this time it was my mother and sister, Faith that intervened.

“The respondent, at the slightest provocation abuses, beats and assaults me, my late mother and my siblings when they visited. As we progressed in the relationship, the beatings became so severe that on many occasions, I feared for my life.

“The respondent will strip me naked in the full glare of everyone in the premises, threaten to kill me while hitting me, and on other occasions, exhibit all form of cruelty towards me.

“I sometimes leave the house to my friend’s place for safety. I have a number of recorded videos and voice notes to prove this series of inhumane treatments.

“When I was pregnant with the triplets, the respondent started accusing me of infidelity.

“This allegation escalated to what I reasonably believe was a paranoia, which eventually influenced the respondent in forcefully preventing me from travelling out of the country to give birth to the triplets, on some convictions that I will abscond with the kids for another man.

“I made several unsuccessful attempts to leave the relationship because of the escalating abuse and violence, but the respondent will in his usual trend, use the Nigerian Police Force to restrain and unlawfully detain me.

“Sometimes in 2018, in one of my attempts to leave the house with the children, the respondent in the company of the immediate DPO of Asokoro Police Division and her team of police men handcuffed me and stripped me naked while someone from the crowd, whom I initially mistook for a policeman, forcefully injected me with sedation.”

“I was then abducted and incarcerated at a hospital for a period of two weeks. I was separated from my six months old triplets and a year-old son at the time,” the estranged wife said.

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