A Lagos-based woman, Grace Abu, has accused a former neighbour of разрушing her marriage and orchestrating the arrest and detention of her 17-year-old son over allegations of kidnapping.
Abu alleged that the woman, who was once married and lived in the same compound with her family, grew close to her husband after attending their church programme. According to her, the relationship later became inappropriate.
“She started coming closer to my family after my husband invited her to a church programme. Before we knew it, she became deeply involved in church activities and was always around my husband,” Abu said.
She claimed that despite raising concerns about the woman’s increasing influence in the church, her husband—who is a pastor—did not act. Instead, he allegedly appointed the woman as his personal assistant, further fuelling suspicions of an affair.
“People in the church complained that she had taken over responsibilities. I spoke to my husband, but nothing changed. They were always seen together,” she added.
The situation escalated when the neighbour allegedly had a child for Abu’s husband, further straining the marriage and leading to their eventual separation.
Abu also accused the woman of being responsible for the arrest of her son, Praise, after the disappearance of a six-year-old boy, identified as Samuel, who is reportedly her husband’s child from the alleged affair.
“The woman got my son arrested when Samuel went missing. Even after the boy was found, my son remained in detention,” she said.
Praise was reportedly detained in a juvenile correctional facility and later arraigned in court over kidnapping allegations.
He was eventually released on March 11, months after Samuel had been found.
Abu said she has not reunited with her son since his release, noting that the family remains fragmented.
In a separate account, Praise’s younger sister, Glory Honesty, described the incident as traumatic and unjust, maintaining that her brother was innocent.
“My brother only sent Samuel to buy biscuits that day. When he didn’t return, we all searched for him but couldn’t find him,” she explained.
She said the situation took a dramatic turn weeks later when police officers, allegedly invited by Samuel’s mother, arrested Praise alongside their father and stepmother.
“It was Samuel’s mother who brought the police. My brother, our dad, and our stepmother were arrested. But only my brother and stepmother were kept in custody,” she said.
Glory added that despite reports that Samuel had been found in an orphanage in January 2026, the accusations against her brother persisted.
“Even after Samuel was found, his mother insisted that my brother was responsible for his disappearance and should not be released,” she said.
She further revealed that Praise’s health deteriorated following his release from detention.
“He has been very sick since he came out. It has been a painful experience for the whole family,” she added.
As of the time of filing this report, the circumstances surrounding Samuel’s disappearance and how he ended up in an orphanage remain unclear, while no official statement has been issued by the police on the matter.
