The sun shone brightly on Monday afternoon when our correspondent paid a visit to the Living Word Anointed Gospel Mission, Alaguntan, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos State. It was not only a hot day, the milieu was also dusty and dry. Passersby took shade under a tree at a junction to hide from the scorching sun. Two women roast yams and plantains opposite a black gated compound housing the church.
Prying eyes trailed our correspondent as he entered the church premises where two teenage girls, said to be daughters of the church’s senior pastor, Ikechukwu Umeayo, were allegedly ‘lured’ to Ogun State by a church member for egg donation.
In the church, chairs were stacked up on one another and a loud gospel song blasted from a stereo nearby. Two teenage girls sang along trying to outshine each other.
“He is here. The journalist is here,” one of the girls exclaimed and our correspondent was led into a chamber with two closed doors leftwards. Pictures of Archbishop Benson Idahosa, Bishop David Oyedepo and Umeayo hung on the wall with the inscription ‘Spiritual Genealogy.’
Some chiffon material hung downwards from a tiny window which barely allowed air passage. Umeayo sat on one of the seats reading from a large, leather-wrapped Bible. He wore a disconsolate demeanour. He pointed to a seat for our correspondent to sit. But before he could settle in the seat, he began to his story.
“My two children were taken to a hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun State by a neighbour, Mummy K (later identified as Blessing Adeleke), and their eggs harvested. Now, they are not in good health. Their liver, kidney and other internal organs have been affected. Please, help me,” he cried.
Asked how he met the woman, he said she moved into the neighbourhood months ago and began to attend services in his church.
“She attended vigils and mid-week programmes, requesting prayers. She never attended any Sunday service as she claimed to have a church in Ikeja. She came for special prayers and gave offerings without hesitation whenever I called for support for the church so I did not suspect anything. I didn’t know she had an ulterior motive towards my teenage children,” the cleric said.
Umeayo, whose wife died three years ago, added that the woman lived in a small, one-room apartment behind the church with her three children. The cleric noted that she didn’t look like she was poor based on her lavish lifestyle.
“She would meet some of the ministers in my church for prayers and give them money afterwards. She also warms up to the homeless people who use the church as shelter, giving them money and other goodies at will. This was what she used to buy the favour of the church members who saw her as a benefactor,” he added.
Umeayo noted that his 19-year-old first daughter, Precious, a hairdresser, also benefited from Mummy K’s kindness. He stated that Mummy K often called Precious from Ogun to Alaguntan, Lagos to make her hair. She would pay large sums for little service rendered and the bond between both ladies grew strong with frequent visits.
Favour (not real name), 16, is a foster daughter to Umeayo.
He said, “I took her in because she is about the same age as my daughter, Precious.
“Favour started learning tailoring but she couldn’t complete it so I decided to employ her as my secretary for a monthly pay of N20,000. It was there she became close to Mummy K.’’
The cleric told that on the night of September 12, 2022, a loud shout roused him from sleep only to open the door and saw naked Precious, shouting, vomiting and crawling towards his door.
He narrated, “I was surprised when I saw Precious vomiting. Blood was coming out from her mouth and her private parts. It was late at night and everywhere was quiet. I didn’t know what to do. I thought she had malaria and typhoid so I asked first if she had eaten and she said she hadn’t eaten for two days. I rushed to the kitchen, dished some jollof rice and fed her myself.
“Before she could gulp the sixth spoon, she vomited again all over me. This time, blood accompanied the rice she just swallowed. I panicked. I couldn’t take her to the hospital because it was too late at night and I didn’t have a car. I managed the situation till morning and I took her to see the family doctor. On reaching there, she vomited again on the doctor’s table. The doctor said it may be that the food did not go down into her system.’’
Umeayo also said a few laboratory tests were conducted on her daughter, claiming that she could no longer pass out faeces till an urgent surgical procedure was done.
He stated, “The doctor said he could not do anything else in the matter. He then referred us to another clinic. I became afraid because I was helpless.
“I then called one of my family members who had a car to help me take her to another medical facility. I quickly rushed home to see my other daughters aged 12 and 14 to explain to them what had happened. I almost faint.”
Umeayo noted that to his surprise his 14-year-old daughter, who shared a room with Precious and Favour, told him what threw him off balance.
He stated that she went inside their room and brought out a bag filled with injections and told Umeayo that she used to see Precious use it to inject herself at night when everyone was asleep.
“I was so shocked. I took the bags of injections to my daughter at the hospital and asked her but she denied knowing what they were not to talk of using them. No matter how hard I persuaded her, she refused to talk.
“She was losing strength so I called her younger brother who is a year younger and was in the church at the time to know what was going on. Before then, I used Favour’s fingerprint to open her phone unknown to her and I saw all her conversations with Mummy K. I asked Precious again but she never said anything. She couldn’t walk and she was still vomiting,” he said.
The cleric further said that they drove to the church and sent his son to call Mummy K, stating that it took her about 20 minutes to come out and she was looking over her shoulders.
He narrated, “I knew then that there was something wrong. She joined us in the car and told us that we should go to a hospital in Agege and they would handle the matter professionally. She also said that she knew what was wrong with the girls. I believed her. I still wasn’t sure what it was exactly that she had done to my children but I wanted her to undo it.
“She kept directing us till we got to a hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun State. This was at 2am and Precious was not breathing well again. Immediately we got down. Mummy K ran into the hospital and some nurses followed her out and carried Precious in.’’
He said in his presence his daughter was given over 16 injections and seven pints of drip because she was faint and looked pale. He also said Favour was also taken in since she also came to the hospital.
“In the morning, Precious’ stomach had swollen up. The doctor said some body fluids had passed where it was not supposed to pass. They put something in her private parts to draw fluid out of her. It was excruciating to watch.
“I begged them to do a scan to find out if there was anything wrong so they could start repairing it before it got out of hand but they kept reassuring me that everything would be fine,” he added.
He said that he had to leave Precious and Favour in the hospital since his other children who were still minors were home alone with no one to take care of them.
The cleric further said that the following day, Mummy K and his two daughters arrived. He added that Mummy K said that her work was done, noting that it didn’t appear so because it took Precious another two days to pass out faeces albeit painfully. It was gathered that the cleric and her children live in Ogun State but their church is located in Lagos.
At one point, Precious came in to join Umeayo and our correspondent where they sat. The slender girl wore a tight face. She looked around before she eventually sat close to her father.
Precious told that she only met Mummy K a few months ago, stating that she was introduced to ‘something strange’ by the woman in September.
“While I was making her hair one day, she told me that she wanted to introduce me to a business where I can make some money to take care of my needs and open a saloon. I told her I didn’t need one as I was going to school in 2023, but she said that I needed the money.
“She said she would take me to a doctor who would collect my wasted menstrual blood and pay me N80, 000. It sounded strange to me so I told her I was not interested. She insisted but I told her no,” Precious claimed.
The teenager also said that after a few weeks, Mummy K sent for her again to make her hair at her home. On getting there, Precious said Mummy K raised the issue again but she insisted that she was not interested.
“Mummy K stressed that there was no side effect and that instead of the blood to waste, I should give it to the doctors for the money. I told her no and thought she respected my decision. I didn’t tell anyone when I got home because I didn’t feel the need to,” she added.
“On the third visit to her house to get her hair done, she said I should quickly follow her and that the hospital needed the menstrual blood urgently. I said I was not interested.’’
She claimed that a man came in and ordered her to follow her, stating that she had no choice but follow Mummy K to the Abeokuta-based hospital where the procedure would be done.
“They sedated me and by the time I woke up the next day, I saw myself in another hospital, but this time in Surulere. Mummy K gave me some injections and taught me how to use them. She said I would take it for 12 days and return to Surulere for them to take the blood. She also said if I told anyone anything that happened, they would kill me.
“I went home and did what she instructed. After the first injection which I administered, I began to feel faint so I called Mummy K and she told me what to do. I did it for almost two weeks,” she stated.
Two weeks later, Precious said Mummy K called her and they both went to the hospital in Surulere, where she was sedated and made to lie down while a procedure was conducted on them.
“I heard them counting from one to 19 and then they stopped and put me in a wheelchair. I was in that wheelchair for four hours.
“Mummy K left me, saying she could not be waiting for me in that place. By the time I was fit to stand up, Mummy K was gone. I had no money on me. It was a lady who saw me sitting helplessly on the road that helped me with transport back home,” she stated.
On where she told her father she went to, she said Mummy K told her to tell Umeayo that they attended a vigil in her church. She said she did just that. According to her, a few days later, she got a credit alert of N40, 000 from Mummy K, apparently for the ‘procedure.’
Favour said she had a similar experience with Mummy K. She said she had resumed work as usual at her office in the church when Mummy K came in and asked her how much she was paid.
“I initially refused to tell her. She said I should tell her because she wanted to help me. When I told her, she said that I could be selling my ‘wasted menstrual blood’ to her.
“I ‘told her that I was comfortable living with the Umeayos. She left but returned a few days later with a tall man who ordered me to follow them and out of fear I did. Mummy K and I went to a hospital in Abeokuta, and some doctors were attending to me. Before I knew it, I slept off but saw myself in another hospital in Surulere,” Favour said.
She also alleged that a pack of injections were handed to her, adding that Mummy K taught her how to use them.
“Mummy K also told me not to tell anyone. After two weeks, Mummy K told me to follow her to the hospital and they sedated me though I heard them count to 27 before they stopped,” she noted. She said she later got an alert of N77, 000 whereas Mummy K promised her N80, 000. “I first saw a credit alert of N40, 000, and after a few weeks, I saw another N37,000,” she added.
Showing our correspondent threatening messages sent from foreign numbers to his mobile, Umeayo said he needed police protection for himself and his family because some people were after his life. “They want to kill me because I am fighting for justice but there is a God in heaven,” he added.
When initially reached out to Mummy K, she said that she could not talk on the matter because it was now public knowledge.
“It is everywhere. It is already in the news. Thank you,” she said and ended the call.
She called back a few minutes later, saying that she couldn’t follow the conversation because of the network and ended the call.
Our correspondent reached out to her again, and she dismissed Umeayo and his two daughters’ allegations.
“My dear, one has to be careful because the Commissioner of Police is also aware of this matter. These people are liars. They are lying against me. Is it possible to just take them (Precious and Favour) out without their consent? Is it possible? It is not possible. Nigerians are good at spoiling people’s names. That is it. Even the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters said they are not aware of anything. All these things are mere allegations because it is not possible to take two grown-up girls without their consent to do what? Now, they are saying their kidney, bladder and other organs have been harvested. How possible is that?
“I am not a murderer. I am not. Please, if you want to know more about it, come to Panti.
“If truly the allegations are true, why then is their father requesting N200m and not justice for his children? Why? I don’t understand why human beings are like this. If truly what he is alleging is true, he should bring the children out. We should run a comprehensive test on them,” she said.
Confronted with the allegations, Umeayo said, “I will not give my children to anyone again. If they want to do any tests, they should go to a government hospital.
“Why I initially requested N200m was because I wanted to fly the children abroad because I don’t trust Nigerian doctors anymore.”
When our reached out to the Zonal Commander, NAPTIP Lagos Command, Mrs Comfort Agboko, she said she would not comment on the matter.
“I cannot grant you this interview on the phone. You don’t know me; I don’t know you. You are asking me to speak on a case that was initially reported to the police. And the police are handling the case; I don’t know you and I cannot say anything,” she said dismissively. She ended the call when our correspondent enquired where the interview could be held.
Meanwhile, the counsel to Umeayo, Mr Ikechukwu Chiaha, also petitioned the Director-General of NAPTIP. The petition titled, “Trafficking of Miss Ikechukwu Precious and Miss Theresa Favour Obam and Harvesting of their organs and threat to their Life by one Mrs Adeleke Blessing (Mummy K),” was dated October 21, 2022.
“We crave your indulgence to urgently wade into this matter and cause your reputable investigation crack team to investigate this case so that justice will prevail,” part of the petition read.
The Redwood Specialist Clinic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, named in the matter faulted claims by parents of the two ‘ladies’ who allegedly ‘donated’ their eggs to the hospital, saying the two ‘donors’ were neither minors nor any part of their bodies damaged.
The Lead Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the clinic, Dr Adetoye Durodola, in a statement, said the matter was being investigated by the police at two different stations, noting that the police had cleared the hospital and its officials.
Durodola said the hospital subjected them to the world’s best practice which included verifying their ages.
He said, “Usually, we have forms that we ask donors to fill. These two ladies filled out the forms and stated clearly their ages and dates of birth which showed that they were both well above 18 years old.
“And to corroborate that claim, they brought bank account details and claimed that those accounts were opened when they were 18 years old and there was no doubt that they were above 18.
“So, following the egg donation, Precious had some abdominal pains. Apparently, because she did not want to tell her dad that she did an egg donation, the dad took her to another hospital where they said she has appendicitis and she would need to be operated on. It was at that point that she confessed and told her dad that she had eggs donated.”
The consultant said that the father of one of the ladies brought his child to the hospital in Abeokuta from Lagos over the issue where a clear picture was given.
He said, “I explained to them that it was a mild reaction to the treatment and that she would soon be fine and that she does not need any operation, she would just need some painkillers and fluid. At the police station, they were told to present a medical report because the girl is healthy. There was no sign that there was anything wrong with them. They could not provide it and at that point, the police said it would be difficult because there was no evidence.
“At that point, the police transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti. We were invited and we made a statement.
“It was only Favour’s mother that came and made a statement that her child was below 18. I could remember at the station that the police said, ‘If you are saying that your daughter is below 18, but, the lady has been flaunting that she is a 20-year-old, she has a BVN and a bank account that show that your daughter is a serial liar’”.
He claimed that the girls’ father demanded N200m compensation, adding that when the police asked him about compensation he offered Umeayo N300,00 which he rejected.
Contacted on the matter, the Lagos State police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, told our correspondent to send him a text. He had yet to respond as of the time this story was filed.
