A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who is in a legal battle with his former wife, Precious Chikwendu, has said his estranged wife has mental issues and once cut two people with knives while allegedly trying to kill him and their four children.
Fani-Kayode added that he never denied the woman the right to see her children or come to the house.
The former minister stated these through his media consultant, Oladimeji Olaiya, in response to the allegations against him by his former wife.
Chikwendu alleged her ex-husband beat her up on several occasions, even while pregnant and drugged her.
She, therefore, demanded full custody of their four sons aged five and three years.
Chikwendu made the allegations in an affidavit she deposed to supporting in an originating motion brought pursuant to Section 69 of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003.
The case is being presided over by Justice S.C Oriji of the FCT High Court, Apo, in Abuja.
She noted that she had four children, including a son aged five and a set of triplets aged three, but was not allowed to see her children.
In response on Saturday, the former minister said Chikwendu was “unfit to be a mother and that she has shown nothing but cruelty to her children whom she has never taken care of or shown the love and affection of a mother.”
Fani-Kayode’s aide said, “For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did Chief Fani-Kayode expose his children to danger and he had always provided them with the best of care including 12 nannies and nurses who did all the work even when their mother was in the house and whom she employed.
“Chikwendu’s only pastime was to post pictures and words on Instagram and sleep with men outside. She also tried to seduce several Chief Fani-Kayode’s friends when he was in detention and extort money from them.
“Neither is it true that she was ever beaten by Chief Fani-Kayode or anyone else in his staff and security team, either when she was pregnant or not pregnant and it is not true that she was subjected to any form of physical or mental abuse from them. She was the abuser and not Chief Fani-Kayode or any of his security team or staff.
“On one occasion, she cut two people with a knife and almost bit off the finger of a third when she was trying to attack and kill her own children and husband with two knives. Thirty people witnessed this and we have it on video.
“On another occasion when she was caught in bed with a married naval officer in a hotel, she cut her own foot with a broken bottle and said she would tell the world that her husband did it. At least three people witnessed this.
“We urge members of the public to wait until the truth is revealed about Chikwendu, her mental and physical abuse of her children, her mental illness, her numerous attempts to murder Chief Fani-Kayode and his four children, her adulterous ways, her unfathomable cruelty, her gold-digging ways, her violence and so much more before they make up their minds.”
Fani-Kayode added that these details with the necessary evidence would be produced in court.
“The world is about to be shocked with the truth about her inhumane actions and other deficiencies which our client has over the years endured from her and covered in order not to expose her to any indignity.
“Finally, the only reason Chikwendu has not seen her children for close to seven months is that she has refused to come to the house to do so. Chikwendu claims that she was stripped and drugged. This is not true.
“Rather she was held down by a contingent of four policemen and policewomen in the presence and under the orders of the Divisional Police Officer of the Asokoro Police Station and in the presence of her Aunty Joy and at least 30 frightened and agitated police officers, workers and members of the household and family after which she was sedated with an injection by a doctor from the psychiatric hospital,” the former minister’s aide said.
He added, “On a separate occasion in front of three pastors, she also beat one of the triplets mercilessly simply because he had dared to cry during prayers. Again we have evidence of this, and the pastors and nannies will testify.
“It was after the frightful event of her holding the entire household hostage with the two knives and threatening to kill everybody that she was taken to and admitted in a private mental institution where she was diagnosed as having severe bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia.
“The doctors advised that she be kept there for at least three months for her own sake and for the sake of her family and those living with her to ensure that she did not kill herself or kill anyone else and that she gets the care and medical attention she so badly needed.”
