By Daniel Tyokua
There was confusion in the office of the FCT Social Development Secretariat at the weekend as a 6 year old child refused all attempts to reunite her with an alleged 82 year old father, after six months of being away from home.
The female child, Ufedo Suleiman, had been in custody of the FCT Children Home following a custody battle between her foster father, Alh. Sule Danladi Usman, and the family of her late mother, Haj. Salamatu Suleiman.
The family had petitioned the Gender department of the SDS, to rescue young Ufedo from Alhaji Usman and his biological children, alleging molestation and abuse of the minor.
Recall that the FCT Family Court had earlier ruled in favour of the foster father, a sister of the deceased, Ms. Victoria Ekpa insists that the child will be in danger if reunited into the family.
Ekpa who spoke on behalf of the family of the deceased, is insisting that Alh. Sule Usman has no right over a child he had objected to her adoption from the onset. She also claims the adoption papers presented in court by the accused were forged to allow him custody rights and by extension, claims to the landed properties the deceased had left for her child.
“Alhaji Suleiman never accepted this child because he said it is against his religious believes to adopt a child or even bequest properties to them. My sister however insisted because she wanted a child that will take care of her in old age. My sister went to the City of Refuge Orphanage Durumi where she adopt a child.
“She started making plans for her child when Alhaji Suleiman’s wives and children started mocking her for not having a biological child of her own. That act made her realised that her child will never be accepted or taken care of after her demise, she bought one of her husband’s properties in Dawaki which she was developing before her death.”
She said though the family would be appealing the judgment of the Family Court, she wants Nigerians rescue Ufedo from the danger she is about to be sent into.
“This girl child given to an 82 year old man is not right. He never accepted this child and now that my sister is late, he is claiming the child because of the properties she left behind. As a family we are not interested in the properties all we want is the safety of Ufedo. I am calling on wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, Minister of Women Affairs and NAPTIP to come into this matter.”
Responding, Alh. Sule Danladi Usman, who is a retired Assistant Director of Accounts with the Ministry of Police Affairs, claims the adoption process was legally followed through.
“My daughter was adopted seven days after her birth, I took sole responsibility of her upkeep throughout my wife’s lifetime until some months ago when my wife’s sisters came to my house, took pictures of my daughter and manipulated them claiming maltreatment.”
The father of ten described the accusation by his late wife’s family as baseless and libellous, stressing that he is a responsible father who has successfully trained all his children.
On the role of the SDS, Usman said he was not given fair hearing before his daughter was taken from him. “They took a decision based on libellous accusations levelled against me but I thank God the court ruled on the part of justice.”
