Durojaiye Wins Custody Of Children

A London High Court (Family Division) has given Mr. Adegbule Ola Durojaiye custody of his son, Tevin Ampong Durojaiye, against the demand of her wife to have custody of the child.The court further held that another child, Leanne Durojaiye, should equally be with the father.

The court, presided over by Mrs. Justice Bracewell, however, directed that the children be made available to their mother, Lawrencia Durojaiye, for two hours on alternative Saturdays between 12 noon and 2 pm at the Brentford Child Contact Centre until March 9,2006 when the decision would be reviewed.

It directed further that for the first two contacts, the father must be around, together with a Twi interpreter, to allow for an assessment of the needs of Tevin.Tevin, who was born in London on October 16,2001,was brought to Ghana by his father and left in the care of his aunt, Ms Esther Yeboah, at Asafo, Kumasi, and was to have been taken back to England in January 2003.However, the aunt, on the directives of Tevin's mother, but unknown to the father, refused to surrender the boy, who was subsequently declared missing in August 2002.

Mr. Durojaiye accordingly lodged a complaint with the police, who initially invited Ms Yeboah and directed her to return the boy to the father. She, however, failed to do so.

On October 27, 2004, the Daily Graphic reported that the Accra Regional Police CID had requested Ms Yeboah to report with Tevin.Ms Yeboah told the police that Tevin's mother, who had separated from Mr. Durojaiye, had asked her not to return the boy to his father.The police, however, said since the child was a British citizen, with both parents residing in London, and especially because he had been brought to Ghana by the father, he should be returned to Mr. Durojaiye.

When Ms Yeboah failed to return the boy, the police appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the discovery of the boy and the arrest of Ms Yeboah.

Mr. Durojaiye said in response to the publication, an informant called him in London to report that he had found the boy in Kumasi and he quickly came down to Ghana.

He said he traveled to Kumasi and took Tevin away while he was asleep.

Ms Yeboah later reported to the police that Mr. Durojaiye had stolen the boy from her.