Two men fight over five children

In what is reported as a big shock, Gilbert Maduako has lost his wife, Oluchi and five children to his friend, Akwusi Aluwaogu, who allegedly snatched Oluchi and took away the children claiming that he was their father.

According to PM News correspondent, Cyriacus Izuekwe, the incident happened at Ugwuakwu Village in Umuchu in Aguate Local Government in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria.

The marriage which produced those children, collapsed after Oluchi and her children moved to Aluwaogu’s home who is an indigene of Akokwa town in Imo State and introduced the man to her children as their real father.

Both Maduako and Aluwaogu were good friends for years before he married Oluchi. Unknown to Maduako, his friend was secretly dating his wife even though he visited them as a family friend.

He later got to know when he returned from work and did not find his wife and children. He started looking for them and later found them at Aluwaogu’s house at his village in Akokwa, Imo State.

The wife reportedly introduced Aluwaogu as her husband and father of those five children. It was not certain who among the two husbands actually impregnated Oluci and had the children.

Based on marriage tradition and norms according to indigenes, the children belong to Maduako because he properly married Oluchi by paying her bride price.

Trouble started after Aluwaogu planned to give the eldest daughter to a husband at a tender age to collect her dowry. Maduako got wind of the plan and reported to the police at Umuchu Division who intervened.

The police arrested Aluwaogu and took him to the station where he was interrogated and he confessed that he actually wanted to marry off the teenager. He said since they are living with him and their mother, who actually knew their real father of those children, he had since adopted them as his own children.

On the fate of his friend, Maduako, he said he cannot force Oluchi to marry him and suggested that he should go and get himself another wife and accept his fate.

When our correspondent visited the station, the new DPO was not around to comment on the matter. Police sources said the police stopped the marriage on two grounds-to determine the rightful owner of those children and that the girl was too young to get married.