A woman who claimed to be a
mistress of multi billionaire oil magnet Femi Otedola has opened up on her
relationship with the man she claimed to have had a 26 years daughter for.
Kindly read along
For the purpose of this
interview, can i have your full names?
I’
am Olayinka Odukoya.
What kind of relationship existed between you and Mr. Femi
Otedola?
We
used to have a love affair.
Was the love affair one that your parents knew about? I mean your
own parents and his parents?
What
happened was that I just finished from secondary school at that time and I was
even working when he approached me for a relationship. I accepted his advances
and somewhere along the line, I realised that I’d taken in for him. And this
was a time I was just offered an admission into the School of Nursing in Ikoyi;
I was only waiting to go for pre-registration interview before I realised I was
pregnant. And at that point in time, there was a man, Mr. Tobun father’s house
at Odo-Irangusi.
It
was through my friend that was dating the contractor that I met Femi. And he
promised me heaven and earth. As a matter of fact, we both sworn to an oath
with the Holy Bible never to leave each other. I was about 21 years at that
time and it was at that point that we started sleeping together and I got
pregnant for him. And he accepted it. But in the long run, I realised that he
didn’t tell his parents at home that he had put a lady in the family way. It
was that Mr. Tobun that later went to his dad to tell him that his son had
impregnated a young lady in Ijebu. And his mum later called him to probe him
over it after the dad complained to her.
But
he lied to his mum initially that he did not impregnate anybody. Meanwhile, I
used to go to their house regularly before then to the extent that all his
younger siblings were familiar with me. His mum even knew me, though she did
not know that I was dating her son which was the real purpose of my frequent
visit to their house. She thought I was only a friend to Femi’s sisters. So,
since I took in, I would go to him to collect money for my upkeep and things
like that. As a matter of fact, I contemplated aborting the pregnancy at a
point because I felt it was affecting the continuation of my education but
unfortunately for me then, an old man overheard me telling a friend about my
planned abortion and the old man went straight to leak it to my mum. So, my mum
came to take me from where I was back home so as to prevent me from aborting
the pregnancy. And my dad too also prevailed on me never to try aborting the
pregnancy with the counseling that it is not only people that are well educated
that make it in life. So, I later went to tell Femi that my parents were well
aware of the pregnancy and he also plead with me to keep the pregnancy.
What was Mr. Femi Otedola doing then? Was he working or still in
school?
He
was a trader at Iponri Shopping Complex selling stationery materials. And since
his dad was running a printing press then, he was also supplying them materials
to work with. And when we realised he was not showing up at our house like it
was expected, my parents said I should tell him that they wanted to meet his
parents and he said no problems. But when he refused to come with his parents
like he promised, a sister to my mum who was a registrar was even nursing the
doubt that I might not know the real owner of my pregnancy and she attributed
her doubt to the fact that the Otedola’s were well-to-do and very responsible,
so they would not tolerate their son impregnate a girl and not do the right
thing. So, there was a resolve that my mum should follow me to their house and
when we got there, it was Femi himself that opened the gate for us. And when we
met his dad, Baba Otedola, and told him a bout the pregnancy, he probed Femi
over it and he told his dad that he was the one responsible for it. And the dad
said he would have loved his mum to be at home for the meeting because when he
first heard about the issue and raised it with the mum, Femi vehemently denied
knowing anything about the pregnancy to the extent that the mum was saying any
girl that was claiming to have gotten pregnant for her son should go and take
care of it in her parent’s house. Since her son had said he didn’t impregnate
any girl. But the dad said we should not worry about it and that he would
always send money for my upkeep. And shortly before I would deliver my baby,
the mum came around at the prompting of Baba Otedola, I guess, she came with
Baba Otedola’s elder sister. They said they were the owners of the pregnancy
since it’s their son that was responsible for it. And when I delivered my baby,
a naming ceremony was organised at their house for my daughter.
So, since everything was cordial to that point, how did the denial
of access to your daughter come into play?
Thank
you. That’s exactly what I am about to tell you. After the naming ceremony,
Femi came later to tell me that his mum said he should not marry me. And I was
like if she says that then, maybe you should leave me alone. But he said he
could not do that. Later on, I told him I wanted to learn Hair Dressing since I
could not go to the School of Nursing any more. But he advised that I should go
to a Catering school instead. So, I went to Catering school and it was while I
was there that I got pregnant for him again. But his mum still stood strongly
against our getting married. Meanwhile, I had a forced labour when the
pregnancy got into the 7th month which I had as a still birth. In fact, I
almost lost my life during the delivery. It was the placenta that came out
first before the dead baby came out buttocks first instead of the head. My dad
later went to meet him that, Femi, so, so, thing happened to me. Though, he was
fully aware that I was pregnant for him again, but he apparently did not inform
his parents. So, it was when my dad went to their house that his dad too knew
about it and challenged him over it. But in his usual manner, he denied having
anything to do with the pregnancy and I later told him that thank God I did not
die in the course of the forced labour because that is how he would have denied
me in death.
I
reminded him of how he lied that he did not know anything about Christy’s
pregnancy before he later accepted to be the one responsible. And shortly after
that was when his mum became extremely hostile to me, telling his son that he
saw girls from rich background, he didn’t go to them. That, why would he go for
someone from a humble background like me. And it was because Femi told me that
his mum might accept me if we had a second child that I accepted to get
pregnant for him again. But when they said I should bring my daughter Christy
to them when she was a little over 2 years, so that she could start
kindergarten, I left her for them. But ever since then, the mum would not allow
me to see my daughter.
There
was even a festive period that my younger siblings went to their house to ask
them to allow my daughter to come and spend some time with us, the mum refused.
And I later went myself but as soon as the mum saw me, she took my daughter
inside and locked her up. And when all my efforts to see my daughter became
abortive, I later told them that I would always be my daughter’s mother because
they cannot buy another mother for her no matter how much they prevent me from
seeing her. And again, my mum’s younger sister told me not to worry because
when it gets to a point my daughter would ask for her mum. But when she
(Christy) was 15 and was schooling in Akure, Ondo State, while she lived with
her father’s younger brother, I still made an attempt to go and see her there,
yet they prevented me. And that was the point in time I decided to leave the
South-West for the Northern Part of the country to cool-off. So, I stayed and
worked in the North for some time before I returned few years ago. Meanwhile, I
was already aware that my daughter had been taken abroad for further studies.
And
I even made an attempt to be close to Otedola’s house but each time I went, Femi’s
mum was always like “what do you want?” And I would tell her that I only came
around to say hello and also to know if you are hearing from my daughter.
But
when it got to a point, I could no longer cope with not seeing my daughter, I
sent a Reverend Father to the mum to beg her for me. And she was like I should
never again in my life send any emissary to beg her again. And about 7 years
ago, I told my younger brother that I felt I would need to take the matter to a
relevant government authority to contest my right to see my daughter for me.
But my brother said I should not go that far that he would go and talk to Femi
man to man. Meanwhile, at that point I was always texting Femi asking about the
well-being of my daughter, he would not reply any of the messages. There was
even a day I went to his Zenon House in Victoria Island. He saw me face to face
as he was driving in because I was standing at the gate. And when he got out of
the vehicle, he looked back at me and I said “Femi, you are the one I have come
to see”. But he rushed into the office and never came out till I left. I got
there around 8am and left at 12 noon. I later dropped a note for him with his
security guys stating that I did not come to fight him but to see him and ask
after my daughter. The number that my younger brother had was no longer going
through, so, he got another number of his from me which he called without any
one picking it. And he decided to send him a text that why would he not allow
his sister to see her daughter. And that he should redress the situation since
the child belongs to him and his sister.
But
by the second or third day, he called his mum to go and warn Felix, that is my
brother, that he was threatening his life. And the mum went straight to my
dad’s house to fight him. That he should warn his son who was threatening the
life of her son. My dad called my younger brother from Ijebu immediately asking
why my
brother
would wade into the matter. And when my brother went to Ijebu some time later,
he told anyone that cared to listen to go and tell Femi’s mum that he had come
to town and that she should come and arrest him, maybe the Police would be able
to resolve the matter once and for all. But after spending 3 days without
seeing anyone come to arrest him, he returned to Lagos.
So what happened after then?
We
decided to give them some time again before raising issues over the matter. In
fact, at a point, I decided to go to Human Rights Advocacy Groups and I was
already in Ikeja with pictures before my brother called me and plead that I
should not do anything like that. Because no two opposing parties in a court
case return as friends.
He
said he believed dialogue could still do it. Meanwhile, I had gone to the
monarch in our town, Kabiyesi Odu-Iragusi, to plead with them for me but they
still turned deaf ears. I even went to one Tejuosho’s son who is Femi’s friend
in Ilupeju, Lagos, to discuss the matter with him. But still nothing changed.
My brother even went to the Kabiyesi over the matter for the second time, yet they
did not yield to my request to see my daughter. So, about 5 years ago, Femi’s
mum told me that I should not worry that as soon as my daughter was through
with her Masters Degree, I would be allowed to see her. And after Christy
finished her master’s, it was Femi’s mum that called to tell me about it and
asked if I was coming to Ijebu for Xmas to which I said yes. And she said she
would make sure that I see my daughter. But as I speak to you my brother, I
have still not set my eyes on my daughter.
Interestingly
enough, during the last subsidy removal crises, I was just leaving Irangusi for
Omu, when one of my younger brothers called me that he just sighted my daughter
in town. And I took a bike with N1,500 that day to return to Iragusi, a journey
that was not supposed to be more than N300.00. But when I almost got to
Otedola’s house, I caught a glimpse of my daughter being chauffeur-driven out
and I was trying to wave down the vehicle but she did not see me.
How long ago is it now that you had a contact with your daughter
last?
I
have not had any contact with her since they took her from me when she was a
little over 2 years old.
Do you have any idea of what she is doing abroad now?
I
think she is now working there. Because Femi’s mum once told me something like
that.
And you have not spoken with Mr. Femi Otedola too?
Yes.
I have not spoken with him ever since. Even when his dad celebrated his
birthday last year and I went there, he avoided me all through. Even, his older
brother who I spoke with and told that they have not allowed me to see my
daughter for years could not believe it because the brother just returned to
Nigeria from abroad. And he promised to do something about. Yet, nothing has
happened.
Are you married to someone else as we speak?
Not
really. I only had an affair with a man for whom I also have a daughter,
Eniola. But I could not bring myself to marry him because Femi’s experience has
made me to be scared of men.
So, what exactly do you want from Mr. Femi Otedola?
All
I want is access to my daughter and the full rights to be a mother to her.
Because they could have told her mum is dead!
That's 2 bad,pls allow her access 2 her daughter, it won't prevent d girl from being ur daughter 2.bt she needs her mother also.
ReplyDelete