Hope James
A UK-based Nigerian, Mr Aitua Obade, has been arrested by security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos State.
Obade, a Healthcare Assistant, was apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS; Aviation Security, AVESEC; Nigeria Police Force and the Interpol, while checking in to travel to the United Kingdom through Rwanda Air, following allegation that he abducted his son and seized his wife’s international passport and other valuables.
It was gathered that Obade and his wife, Gabriella, both reside in Dudley, Tipton, United Kingdom. They flew into Nigeria on March 9, 2023, only for the marriage, according to Gabriella, to be dissolved by a traditional ruler in Ekpoma, Edo State.
According to Mrs Obade, “We arrived Lagos on March 9, 2023, we slept over at his uncle’s place in Palmgrove area of Lagos and travelled to his home town in Ekpoma, Edo State, where we were invited for a meeting scheduled for March 11, 2023, at the palace of the Onojie of Ugbegun, Samuel Obade II.
“While the meeting was on, one of my husband’s cousins had my son, while I was instructed to sit on the floor with my head bent down.
“After deliberations on accusations of disloyalty and infidelity, the Onojie pronounced the dissolution of our marriage and instructed that my two-year-old son be brought to him, since he bore Obade as a surname.
“Immediately, he directed that a driver takes me to the Obade’s family house where I slept and was taken to the park the next day.
“As I was arranging my luggage, my husband, accompanied by four men, walked in. Two of them stood at the door while the other two came inside close to where I was assembling my valuables. They requested for my Nigeria International passport when I hesitated, he threatened that I should not make things worse for myself.
“One of them grabbed me and forcefully collected my passport and British Biometric Resident Permit Card. I couldn’t help myself, I just stood there and cried.
“Considering the reality of things, instead of travelling, I stayed back to appeal to the Obade family for my child, beginning with my husband, his father and his mother.
“But they said the matter was beyond them since the king had made a pronouncement on it. I also pleaded for my travel documents, but my husband told me that his brother had been instructed to take me to my maternal uncle’s place.
“I had to approach the authorities to help stop him before he leaves the country. Whereas we were all meant to be on the Rwanda Air flight he was going to catch when he was arrested.
“I am losing my mind, for more than a week now, I do not know the whereabouts of my son. He is barely two years old and I want to be there for him as his mother.”
Speaking on his arrest, Mr. Obade said: “I am only a suspect and I have not committed any crime.
“My wife does not care about our son and I had to end our marriage and took my son. Even my son does not know the mother.”