Don urges Adeleke, IGP to prevail on Ataoja, wife to release daughter

Prof. Adekunle Lawal Oloki, the estranged husband to one of the wives of Ataoja of Osogbo, Olori Adedoyin Oyetunji, has pleaded with Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, to prevail on the monarch and Adedoyin to allow him take custody of his daughter.

Oloki, who is based in the United States of America, said he only wants the custody of his daughter Olori Adedoyin had for him before she got married to the traditional ruler.

Oloki had approached an Osun State District Customary Court sitting in Erin-Osun with a suit for the custody of the child. When the matter came up on Wednesday for the continuation of hearing on the matter, the court said it could not continue the trial because of heavy security presence at the court. However, the court adjourned the case to June 21.

Addressing newsmen after the court’s proceeding, Oloki said he has not been comfortable with the fact that the custody of his daughter has not been granted him, stating that the future of the child is very paramount to him.

He said: “I have tried to reach out to people who could talk to the parties (Ataoja and Olori) to let me have access to my child, but failed before I approached this court to seek redress. I want a good future for my child. Her future is very paramount to me.

“I flew in from the United States of America to attend this hearing, surprisingly they said the presence of my security details cannot allow them continue the hearing. They want the case transferred to Osogbo, but I’m against that. We want the case heard here.”

Oloki also called on Osogbo elders and Ataoja-in-Council, the Osun State government and other well-meaning Nigerians to appeal to the parties to release the custody of his daughter to him.

He added: “I will soon be petitioning the Osun State Governor, the Osun State House of Assembly and the Inspector General of Police to help intervene in this case.”

Olori Adedoyin and her counsel declined to comment when The Guardian approached them.