Super Eagles striker, Kayode Olanrewaju, is seeking custody of the three children he once said weren’t his own following an alleged DNA results that proved he was not their father.
The footballer has also urged a Federal Capital Territory High Court to dissolve his marriage to his estranged wife, Ezinne, alleging the union has broken down irretrievably.
Kayode, born May 8, 1993, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turkish club Gençlerbirliği.
The Turkey-based footballer who is also seeking custody of their children, urged the court to order a UK-based pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, to pay him N1bn in damages for the emotional trauma, financial loss, and loss of goodwill caused by his “adulterous affair” with Ezinne.
Earlier this year, precisely in May 2024, Kayode claimed to have conducted a DNA test on the three children and that the results showed that he was not the biological father to any of them.
The forward player and Ezinne have been engaged in endless disagreements following allegations of infidelity, among other issues. At some point, Ezinne also instituted legal action against Kayode.
In the suit dated March 20, 2024, Ezinne accused Kayode of making baseless allegations of infidelity and witchcraft against her and her mother, adding that Kayode damaged her phone in the process.
Ezinne in her suit said, “Upon arriving from Turkey personally and without prior notice to his wife or children, the respondent rained abuses on the petitioner and her mother, making baseless accusations of infidelity and witchcraft and trying to force the petitioner out of her matrimonial home. In the process, the respondent smashed the pPetitioner’s iPhone 15 pro-Max beyond repair.”
However, in a cross-petition marked PET/304/2024 filed on July 1, 2024, the Super Eagles striker accused Ezinne of repeatedly committing adultery with the UK-based pastor and other men since their marriage in 2013.
Ezinne and the UK-based pastor are the respondent and co-respondent respectively in Kayode’s cross-petition.
The Super Eagles striker also claimed in his cross-petition that his estranged wife kidnapped their children, who were later rescued by the Department of State Services personnel.
He said, “Whilst the cross petitioner was still trying to get his facts right and fathom a means to have all the lingering issues resolved, the respondent, under the guise of going to church on March 24, 2024, abducted the children of the marriage and absconded to an unknown location in Abuja.
“The respondent then informed his lawyer to write a petition to the DSS regarding the abduction of the children of the marriage.
“Pursuant to the aforesaid petition, the DSS was able to track the location of the respondent and got her arrested with the children of the marriage in her hideout somewhere in Brains and Hammers Estate, Abuja. The respondent was subsequently granted bail.”
Kayode accused his estranged wife of undermining their joint business ventures. “The cross petitioner, in his bid to have a lifetime investment in Nigeria, decided sometime in 2019 to incorporate a company and indeed incorporated DE- J-S Concept Ltd. as a vehicle for his investments in Nigeria and also made the respondent a shareholder and a director.
“The cross petitioner thereafter purchased many properties from one realtor, Ugochukwu Igboanugo of Ziloc Constructions Limited, who was initially introduced to the cross petitioner by the respondent and it was later discovered that the said Ugochukwu Igboanugo was an ex-lover of the respondent.
“Unknown to the cross petitioner, the respondent has connived with the said Ugochukwu Igboanugo and collected all the property documents and has been solely and personally collecting rent proceeds from the properties, expending same on her amorous relationship with the co-respondent to the cross petition.”
On why the court should grant him the custody of the children, Kayode said, “The respondent is not bothered with the educational and mental well-being and stability of the children of the marriage as the same is evident in her actions by having romantic and sex-related discussions with the co-respondent and other men in the presence of the children. Indeed, her absconding with the children whilst school is in session without regard to academics leaves much to be desired.”
In his reliefs, he desires, “An order for a decree of dissolution of the marriage between the cross-petitioner and respondent/petitioner on the grounds that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.
“An order granting custody of the children of the marriage to the cross-petitioner with right of access to the respondent.
“An order against the co-respondent for the payment of the sum of N1,000,000,000 to the cross petitioner for the emotional trauma, financial loss and loss of goodwill occasioned by the adulterous relationship between the co-respondent and the respondent.”
The matter has been slated for hearing on September 24, 2024.
