An Ikeja Special Offences Court yesterday ordered Cece Yara Foundation to produce in court the two daughters of Mr. Adebisi Arewa, an associate professor of the University of Lagos.
The Cece Yara Foundation is a child-centred non-profit organisation established in 2016 to prevent child sexual abuse and provide access to care, information, protection and emergency intervention for children who are sexually abused or at risk, and their family. It was established by Mrs Bola Tinubu, wife of oil magnate, and Chairman of Oando Plc.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo gave the order during the hearing of an application filed by their father, Prof. Adebisi Arewa of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka.
Justice Taiwo ordered that the children, marked X and Y be produced in court August 25 to enable her have an interface and determine whether they are properly being taken care of by the foundation.
Justice Taiwo said she gave the order to enable her speak with them in her chambers and for the children to speak for themselves. She said this was why she delayed in granting the prayers of the their father.
The UNILAG don and his children, X and Y are applicants in a Motion on Notice marked ID/13640/MFHR/22.
The respondents are the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Director of Public Prosecution, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Executive Secretary, Domestic and Sexual Violence Team in the Ministry of justice, Chief Mrs.O. A Olayinka, Chief Magistrate of Lagos State, O.T Odumole, Principal Social Welfare Officer, Yaba, Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lagos state.
Prof. Arewa, who appeared for himself and his children had told the court that his children are not properly catered for and that they now wear second-hand clothes in the custody of Cece Yara Foundation. “A whole me, children of a whole professor of law wearing second-hand clthes!”, he exclaimed.
He told the court that the last time he saw his children was in May 2022. He alleged that the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is using his influence with the school where his children are attending in persecuting his person. He also told the court, that the mother of the children, a banker is not capable of caring for the children due to her work and that he remains the best person to cater for the children, who are seven and 10 years old respectively.
He said that the children are not disturbed and that they should be handed over to him and that they are doing fine in their school.
In the suit, the professor is seeking six reliefs, among which is an order seeking immediate release of the applicants to their parents, and an order quashing the forensic interview so long as it disparages the interest of the minors purportedly conducted by Cece Yara Foundation without the consent and participation of the parents illegal, void and of no effect and an order releasing the children to enable them go to school.
Cece Yara Foundation took custody of the children over allegation that their father was defiling them and for his refusal to release them for forensic examination.
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