Fani-Kayode’s Ex-Wife Tells Court Why She Left Marriage, Seeks Custody Of Children

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Apo, on Friday, fixed March 12 to commence hearing of a suit Ms. Precious Chikwendu, the estranged wife of the former Minister of Aviation, Chief Fani-Kayode, filed to take custody of their four kids.

In the suit marked CV/372/2021, the former beauty queen, applied for an order of the court granting custody of the four sons she had with the former Minister- Aragon, Ragnar, Aiden and Liam Fani-Kayode- to her, but with reasonable right of access to their father.

She is praying the court to direct the former Minister who was cited as the sole Respondent in the matter, to pay the sum of N3.438million monthly towards the maintenance and upkeep of the four kids, “with the possibility of a review of the sum every two years upon an application to the court”.

More so, the Applicant, asked the court to direct the Respondent to be responsible for the payment of all sums and ancillary expenditure necessary for, arising from and appertaining/incidental to the advancement, and/or education of the four kids.

Pending the determination of the suit, she urged the court to in the interim, grant her interlocutory custody “in the interest of the children and particularly giving the difficult circumstances in which the children are growing up without the care and nurture of the Applicant”.

As well as to restrain the Respondent, whether by himself, his agents, privies, servants or associates, howsoever called, from forcibly removing, or relocating the children from Abuja or the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

In a 39-paragraph affidavit she personally deposed to in support of the suit, Ms. Chikwendu, told the court that she and the Respondent are separated and living apart since 2020, after they cohabited together for over six years.

She told the court that she met the former Minister sometimes in 2014, when she was at the pinnacle of her career and the age of 24 years old.

READ ALSO: Fani-Kayode Accuses Three Governors Of Sponsoring Banditry, Kidnappings

“The Respondent and I were soon involved in an intimate romantic relationship which lasted for over six years, during which we cohabited together at the Respondent’s residence at No. 5 Zuma Close, Off Udi Hills Street, Also Drive, Abuja.

“That my relationship was blessed with four children; Master Aragorn Fani-Kayode (5 years), Master Regnar Fani-Kayode (2 years), Master Aiden Fani-Kayode (2 years) and Master Liam Fani-Kayode (2 years)”.

She said her relationship with the Respondent was “a turbulent and unhappy one”, saying he was “in the habit of beating me up during every quarrel”.

Narrating why she left the former Minister’s home, the Applicant, said: “My relationship with the Respondent witnessed fear, harrasment, 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.

“That the Respondent at the slightest provocation, abuse, beats and assaults me, my late mother and my siblings when they visited.

“That 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 forms of cruelty towards me.

“That I sometimes leave the house for my friend’s place for safety. However, on any such occasions, the Respondent will call to apologize, send friends and colleagues who persuaded me to return to the Respondent and to try to make the best of the relationship.

“That there were other times that the Respondent will send his bodyguards to stalk me till I give in to returning to the Respondent”.

Ms. Chikwendu told the court that Fani-Kayode became more aggressive sometimes in April 2015 during the time he was hounded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

She said she had to relocate to Lagos to cater for him while he was detained in EFCC custody.

“I teamed up with the Respondent’s lawyer, Wale Balogun of Ahmed Raji & Co. who sorted out the bail conditions of the Respondent and by the time Aragorn and I reconciled with the Respondent at his hotel, the battery continued.

“By the time the Respondent was done beating me up, I had a broken nose and bled all night with bruises all over my body.

“That I have a number of recorded videos and voice notes to prove this series of inhumane treatments”.

Continuing her averments, the Applicant, told the court that when she was pregnant with the triplets, the Respondent, started accusing her 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.

“That I made several unsuccessful attempt 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”.

She told the court that in 2018 when she attempted to leave the house with the children, the Respondent, in the company of the immediate DPO of Asokoro Police Division and her team of policemen, “handcuffed me and stripped me naked while someone from the crowd whom u initially mistook for a policeman, forcefully injected me with a sedation.

“That 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”.

She said the Respondent, in May 2020, instructed his security details not to allow her into the premises, following an argument on the phone, for not going out with the body guard he assigned to follow her around.

“That on Sunday, the 2nd of August 2020, on returning to the house from a medical surgery, I had an intense argument with the Respondent and in the heat of the quarrel, I took a quiet saunter down the street of the house and by the time I returned to the house, the Respondent had instructed his security details in his usual trend, not to allow me into the premises.

“That I was prevented from having immediate custody of my children and my personal items and belongings such as my car, clothes, shoes, credentials, trophies, title documents, etc.

“That the Respondent has refused and also ensured that he continues to deprive me access to my children and belongings in the bid to hurt and traumatize me”.

She told the court that the former Minister “has been on the spree of posting pictures of my children with different women whom I reasonably believe are his girlfriends, on different social media platforms, all in the effort to spite me”.

Ms. Chikwendu said she had explored every means to be reunited with her children amicably, without any progress.

Lamenting that she has not seen her children in the past seven months, the Applicant, maintained that busy schedules of the Respondent does not grant him the adequate time “necessary for nurturing and raising the children”.

“The Respondent will therefore not be in a good position as me to adequately care for or pay attention to the children”.

“I know that the Respondent has a lot of political influence over the Nigerian Police Force and other agencies of the government and unless the court intervenes, I will remain helpless and never see my children again.

“That I own businesses in Abuja and a career in the entertainment industry for which I make an annual income of N10million”.

Applicant said she currently resides in a comfortable apartment within the city center, with sufficient rooms and facility to raise and care for the children, adding that her first son, Aragorn, has not been to school since she was forcefully separated from them.

She therefore urged the court to grant her custody of the children, saying they “will be very comfortable and happy if they are in my custody till they grow up.

“I even have voice notes of the Respondent affirming that I am better suited to take case of the kids and that he is not comfortable with the manner the nannies take care of the children”, she added.

Meanwhile, when the matter came up on Friday, Justice Sylvester Oriji ordered the service of all the legal documents on the Respondent, even as he adjourned the matter for hearing.

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