Chilling details emerged on Tuesday regarding how a mother and her new husband sent the two children she had for her former husband away from the house allegedly over their refusal to attend the church the man is worshipping.
The girls’ mother, who identified herself as Agnes Odafe, but was known to her former husband’s family as Favour Yawe, alongside the new husband, is currently assisting security agencies on the matter following the rescue of the two girls, Elizabeth Yawe, aged 15 years and Anadoh Yawe, aged 12 years.
It was gathered that the two girls were rescued at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, by officials of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
According to reports, the two girls, who are indigenes of Makurdi, Benue State, were initially living in Abuja with their father following his separation from their mother over irreconcilable differences.
However, about five years ago, the girls’ mother reportedly came to the house and took them away to the house of her new man in Otuo.
The children were subsequently sent out of the man’s house and left stranded in Otuo where they were seen roaming the streets and, at times, begging for food.
Further information indicated that the man refused to allow them to remain in his house because they refused to attend the same church with him while the girls further alleged that he made several attempts to sexually molest them which they resisted.
Their eventual rescue followed the intervention of a concerned indigene of Otuo who assisted the girls in contacting their father after they disclosed his telephone number. The father, upon receiving the call, contacted his younger sister, Dorothy Yawe, who resides in Makurdi.
Dorothy Yawe was said to have subsequently reached out to Mrs Ronke Ojeikere of Society to Heighten Awareness of Women and Children Abuse(SOTHAWACA), who alerted the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development about the plight of the girls.
Upon receiving the information, the commissioner in the ministry directed that a rescue mission be undertaken to Otuo to ensure the safety and protection of the teenagers.
The children were successfully rescued and taken into the protective custody of the ministry, while their mother and the new husband were arrested and handed over to law enforcement authorities for further investigation and necessary action.
