A
Nollywood actor and his wife have sensationally told the police why
they decided to sell their two-year-old son, Samuel Chukwuneye for N350,
000 to a Port Harcourt based woman simply identified as Ogechi. The
couple, though not legally married, had been living together. They were
identified as Kanayo Awurum, 29, and Ugochi Kelechi, 28, both of who
are from Ikeduru Local Government Area in Imo State.
Trouble
started when Ugochi, who is pregnant with their second child, suspected
that her live-in lover, who she claimed gave out their son temporarily
to Ogechi, was planning to abandon her in Lagos. She alerted and
confessed to the police about what they did before relocating to Lagos.
Kanayo was arrested and handed over to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad
(SARS), Lagos police command, Ikeja for further investigation.
According
to a police source, Kanayo, who is an upcoming Nollywood actor
impregnated Ugochi more than two years ago and ran away. He returned
sometime in October 2014 and apologized to her with a promise to marry
her. Ugochi accepted him back and got pregnant again. When his
resources dwindled, he convinced Ugochi to relocate with him to Lagos
State as soon as they were able to raise money.
He convinced her
to use their son as a collateral to collect a loan that will be paid
back in three months. Unknown to Ugochi, her son was sold to one Mrs
Ogechi who lives in Port Harcourt. Armed with the proceed of the sale,
the couple relocated to Lagos and rented an apartment at Ikotun, Lagos.
Two weeks later, Kanayo travelled home with an excuse that there was a
project that he was called upon to execute. He left his lover with
little or no money with the promise to return in two days. Days dragged
into weeks and Ugochi was left at the mercy of the landlord and
neighbours who gave her money for feeding.
Although Kanayo called
giving excuses why he was yet to return, Ugochi became frustrated
especially when her lover told her that their son, Samuel might not
return again. She also learnt from the landlord, that her lover was
making arrangement to collect the remaining part of the rent and send
her packing. Ugochi confided in their family friend who alerted the
police of the development.
Pleading for mercy, Kanayo said that
he took the decision because of his quest to give Ugochi who he
described as his fiancée a better life. “I met Ugochi during our
secondary school days in Amakaohia Comprehensive High School, Ikeduru,
Imo state. We became lovers and continued our relationship after
graduation. Fortunately, she got pregnant in 2012. I asked her to keep
the baby because I loved her so much and wanted her to be the mother of
my children. I met her brother who told me what to do to legalize the
relationship. Sincerely, I wanted to legalize it but, I did not have
much money so I left Ikeduru for Owerri. I am a trained painter and was
also fortunate to be allowed to feature in some Nigerian movies. During
that time, I called her severally to explain why I had to run to
Owerri. She was angry and refused to pick my call or see reasons with
me,” Kanayo narrated.
In October 2014, Kanayo returned and sought
the love and forgiveness of Ugochi who had given birth to a baby boy.
“With the little money that I had, I was ready to marry Ugochi. I
pleaded with her severally and luckily, she accepted. I made another
attempt to ask for her hand in marriage and her family vehemently
refused. They threatened to get me arrested if I dared to come close to
their sister again. But because she loves me so much, we continued our
relationship till she became pregnant again.
“At this point we
needed to leave town before her family would notice that she is pregnant
again. I convinced her to elope with me to Lagos where we will start
our lives together till her family is ready to accept me as their
in-law.
“I was already broke and was sourcing for loan. My plan
was to travel to Lagos and contact my mentor, Jerry Leonard who is also
an actor and film producer. All the persons that I met for a loan
refused but another actor, Emmanuel (full names withheld by us) gave me
the only way out,” he said.
The only way out given to him was to
sell his two-year-old son and get quick money. “He told me to use what I
have to get what I don’t have. Initially, I wanted to use my son as a
collateral to get a loan but Emmanuel said that outright sale will be
the best. He was the one who contacted, Mrs. Ogechi from Port Harcourt
with the promise that I will pay him N50,000. I simply told Ugochi that
the baby will be kept with one woman till we settle down. Since we were
eloping, there was no need to contact any family member. Luckily, the
woman paid N350, 000 and I gave Emmanuel Ibeh, N50,000.
“I contacted my mentor, Jerry and he was able to secure an accommodation for us in Ikotun area of Lagos,” he further said.
Kanayo
insisted that he had plans to return and trace his son. “I know that
what I did was bad but I did it to protect my fiancée. She will be an
object of ridicule by her family if they discovered that she is
pregnant again without a husband. I returned to Owerri when my brother
called me that there is a big painting job. My plan was to also raise
money to buy back our son. Meanwhile, we were having several issues with
the house and I asked the landlord to refund us part of the money we
paid. Unfortunately, I never knew that Ugochi had reported me to the
police. I was arrested when I returned to Lagos to collect part of the
money we paid for that house at Ikotun. I am sorry but all I did was out
of love,” Kanayo said.
He claimed that he played prominent roles
in several nollywood movies including Fist of Vengence, Destiny Child
and Rough Chase.
Ugochi on her part said that she never knew that
their son was to be used as collateral. “I am pregnant and he
convinced me that travelling down to Lagos with a small child would be
stressful. He told me that my son, Samuel will be kept in his sister’s
house for about two months when we would have settled down. It was also
his son, so I felt that whatever plan he has was for our own good. I
never knew that he was having money problem. We just reconciled and he
was taking good care of me and my son ever since he returned. He only
told me that the process of settling down is very stressful.
“When
we got to Lagos, I kept reminding him of our son and he told me that
he would soon return to Owerri to pick him up. Towards the end of April,
he travelled home for a painting job and left me with little or nothing
to eat. Life was hard and I relied on the landlord, neighbours and his
mentor Jerry to survive. I pleaded with him to return our son and he
kept telling me that I should not be in a hurry. I was forced to confess
to the police when I learnt that he wanted to collect back the money he
paid for the house that we were living in. I felt he had abandoned me,
that was why I opened up to his mentor Jerry. I am aware that he wanted
us to relocate from that house but he was no longer providing for me,”
Ugochi said.
On why she agreed in the first place to elope,
Ugochi said: “ I was and I am still in love with him. I have dated him
for more than 10 years and so far he is a caring gentleman. When I got
pregnant in 2012, he asked me to keep the child. He also made effort to
see my family but when he was given the list of things to buy, he ran
away. I was devastated and refused to pick his calls when he tried to
get across to me. He even sent his friends to me. My family protected
me till I gave birth in November 2012. Sometime in October 2014, he
returned and started begging again. I love him, so I had no choice but
to accept him back. He was actually ready to marry me but my family
members refused. They even sent my brother to their house to drop a
piece of kolanut. What that meant was that they are at liberty to beat
him up, if he dares to come around seeking for my hand in marriage. I
love him and I am pregnant again. I cannot bear the shame for the second
time that was why I agreed to elope with him.
“This was why I
did not even contact my family when I was dying of hunger and it was
obvious that my baby might not return. He actually called his mentor and
told him that our son died in a car accident while they were on their
way back to Lagos,” Ugochi further said.
Continuing, she said
that she cannot believe that Kanayo could sell their son for money. “I
miss my son and I want him back. He was fooling me all this while, but I
love him.”
Describing Kanayo as an upcoming actor in Nollywood,
Jerry Leonard said he was not aware of the illicit transaction till
Ugochi confessed to him. “I am a Martial art instructor and also a
successful movie producer. I know him from my maternal village, Ikeduru
where I discovered that he had great skills in acting. He had featured
in several movies of which I connected him to the producers.
“Sometime
in March, he called that he wants to relocate to Lagos and pursue his
acting career. As agreed, I got a mini flat for them close to the area
where I live in Ikotun. He told me that he was coming with his wife. I
signed as guarantor to secure the accommodation. I was surprised when
the landlord called me that Kanayo was planning to leave the compound.
He was the one who told me that Ogechi was stranded and comes around to
beg for food. I intervened and called Kanayo who said that he had a
project and would soon return. Ogechi then opened up to me when I
informed her, that her husband (as he was made to believe) said that
their son died in an accident. I was confused and not sure what my
suspicion could be. We now arranged with the landlord to ask him to
come and collect part of the money he spent on rent.
“I had some
young men around who overpowered him. He confessed to me, pleading that
he had plans to go back and rescue their son. I alerted the police and
they came and picked him up,” Jerry narrated.
Confirming the
incident, Lagos State police spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu said that the
police is on the trail of one Emmanuel who was alleged to have
initiated the transaction and Ogechi, the woman who bought the baby.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti has directed the officer
in-charge of SARS, SP Abba Kyari to ensure that baby Samuel is found and
the other accomplices arrested and prosecuted”, he stressed.
|
0 Response to "Why We Sold Our Son, Nollywood Actor, Wife Confess"
Post a Comment