A Mararaba Grade1 Area Court, Aso Pada, has awarded a house agent, Joshua Obed the custody rights of his daughter, who was under the custody of his girlfriend, Sofia Isaac after claims she was not properly looked after.
The 30-year-old petitioner, a resident of Mararaba, Nasarawa State, claimed that his girlfriend was a heavy drinker.
“Sofia goes out in the morning and come back late at night and do not take proper care of my daughter,’’ he claimed.
Obed informed the court that he met Sofia sometimes in 2009 while she was staying with her sister in Mararaba and they fell in love.
“She left her sister’s house to be staying with me and months later, she became pregnant in which I took responsibility for all her needs.
“During her pregnancy, I told her I want to go and introduce myself to her family in the village, but she told me according to her tradition, it must be after her delivery,’’ he said.
He also told the court that a year after she gave birth, the respondent’s behaviours changed, she started drinking and staying out late before she left his house to her sister’s house.
“Whenever I talk to her, she shouts at me and says I have no right to talk to her because she is not my wife. My Lord, I want the custody of my daughter because I don’t want my daughter to grow up in a bad environment,’’ the petitioner said.
The respondent, however, did not raise any objection to the prayer of the petitioner.
She simply said: “she is his daughter as long as he is ready to take good care of her, then I have no objection,’’ she said.
The respondent urged the court to order the petitioner to allow her access to her daughter at her own convenience.
The presiding judge, Mr Albert Maga, awarded the custody of the baby to the petitioner, and ordered him to allow the respondent free access to her at anytime