A mother of three, Lovelyn Onyekachi, and her suspected lover, Uchenna Ekwenye, are now in police custody over an allegation of serial sexual attacks and defilement of her three children, aged 5, 7, and 9.
Information from the police has it that the children were not given adequate attention by their mother, Lovelyn, a development that created the avenue for her lover to violate them.
But the police have vowed to unravel the circumstances that led to the serial sexual attacks and defilement of the three children.
Consequently, the case has been transferred from Lagos to Abuja, where the duo are currently being detained.
Investigation revealed that the police were alerted by their neighbours, following complaints that they were regularly violated by their mother’s lover, whom they call “uncle.”
Lovelyn Onyekachi, it was gathered, had brought the children back to Nigeria from South Africa about three years ago, following alleged disagreements with her husband and father of the children, Paul Onyekachi, a Nigerian pastor based in South Africa.
Reports have it that, on getting to Nigeria, Lovelyn was said to have met and fallen in love with Ekwenye, who allegedly became a regular visitor to their house, located at Adjacent 7B Esther Ibekwe Street, Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos.
It was alleged that during a regular visit, the ‘lover boy’ moved into the house, rented by the children’s father, and often spent time with them when their mother was out of the house.
He allegedly took advantage of the absence of their mother to violate them one after the other and even threatened to deal with the children if they informed their mother about what transpired in her absence.
However, one of their neighbours who noticed the unusual appearances and behaviours of the children, reported the matter to the police, and the police moved in and arrested the lovers.
But in a petition to the police and the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Lagos State, Nick Onyebuchiomeye & Co, solicitors for the accused, debunked the allegations, claiming that they were ploys by the father of the children to forcefully take custody of his children through blackmail.
The lawyers narrated how, on Friday, 15th March , 2024, at about 11 p.m., Lovelyn Onyekachi, “our client, who is currently the sole provider for her children, returned home from reconciling accounts with her staff in her shop nearby, only to discover that her three children—Stephanie Onyekachi (F-9) years old, Majesty Onyekachi (M-7 years old), and Destiny Onyekachi (M-5 years old), whom she had put to bed a few minutes before stepping out—had been taken away by unknown persons, with only a phone number left behind.”
“Upon contacting the number, our client was made aware that the number belonged to one DSP, Philomena Ehiokhilen of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, and the DSP and her team were the ones who had taken the children based on an allegation that Stephanie Onyekachi had been defiled by one Uche Ewenye, an alleged ‘lover of our client.”
“The said DSP Philomena invited our client to their office at Novel House, Plot 3 Block J, Otunba Jobifele Way, CDB Ikeja, Lagos State, for questioning on Monday, the 18th of March, 2024. When our client got to the office of the agency on 18th March, 2024, she was detained and has been in detention at Alausa Police Station by the agency till date.”
“This petition is centered on the strange procedures employed by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency in their purported investigation of the petition as well as the animosity between our client and the parties that presented the petition alleging the crimes, leading our client to question the integrity of the investigations being carried out.”
Speaking on the matter, the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, Ibrahim Mohammed, said the allegations border on child abuse, indicating that the children have been tampered with.
He said, “We are going to do a thorough investigation to unravel the truth, but the challenge we have now is that the Lagos state government is not helping on the matter.”
“The challenge before us now is that, while the test and investigation conducted on the children at Mirabel, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, on 18th March 2024, gives results of violations and sexual abuse, but, we are told that statement given by one of the children revealed something different.”
“That is why we want to conduct our own investigation here in Abuja to get to the bottom of this issue.”
Speaking on the petition written by lawyers to the mother of the children and her lover, Mohammed said the police are out to do justice and urged everyone concerned to allow the force carry out proper investigations.
He said, “We are aware that some people have written petitions claiming that it is a case of who takes custody of the children; well, that is not what we are concerned about. We are investigating a case of sexual abuse and serial violation of three children by one Uche Ekwenye, and these allegations are very serious, and we can’t afford to handle it carelessly.”
He attributed the delays to an ongoing investigation being carried out by the Lagos state government on the same issue and called on all those concerned to be patient.
“I was one of the officers that went to Lagos to bring the suspects to Abuja, and we were told that they (Lagos state government) have an order to hold the children for seven days, by the Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Agency.”
“The seven-day legal backing has expired. There is no more legal backing for holding them.”
“On Wednesday, I was at the Abuja airport for a whole day, waiting to receive the children, and we waited in vain”
Mohammed, while noting that he is aware that the Lagos State government does not joke with such cases, added that they are waiting for the government’s final decision.
“I know that the Lagos state government does not take cases like this lightly, so we need to wait for the outcome of what they are doing.”
Lola Vivor-Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Agency, assured in a telephone interview that the state government is working to ensure that justice is done.
“We may not be able to give details of this case at the moment because of the sensitive nature, but please rest assured that the state government is committed to ensuring that justice is served.”
“Yes, it does appear that there are delays, but the truth is that there are certain things that need to be done. We are focused on the issues, and we hope very soon, our efforts will yield results.”
Vivor-Adeniyi said that the children are under the protective custody of the Lagos state government, assuring that the government “will leave no stone unturned.”
