A 28-year-old single mother, Faith Omoruyi who was arrested alongside her ex-boyfriend over alleged molestation of her six-year-old daughter, has exonerated her boyfriend of culpability.
Omoruyi, a victim of human trafficking, also disclosed that her ex-boyfriend, Samuel Adams who has been languishing in police custody for two months over what she described as unfounded allegations, was framed by the founder of a non-governmental organisation she reached out to when she returned from Russia where she was trafficked to.
She further accused the founder of the non-governmental organisation of taking advantage of her helplessness to exploit her situation.
Speaking in an interview, she said: “My travails began after I was trafficked to Russia in September 2011. When things became so difficult for me, I went to the Nigerian embassy in Russia. At the embassy, I got in contact with the Pathfinder Foundation which rehabilitates and integrates victims of trafficking. They promised to rehabilitate and integrate me back into society when I get back to Nigeria.
“I was seven months pregnant when I came back to Nigeria in September 2015. I gave birth in December 2015, to a mixed-race baby in our family house but because I needed financial help, I reached out to Ruth Idahosa, the founder of the NGO and she assisted me with an apartment when my daughter was about six months old. She helped her get into creche.”
Explaining further, Omoruyi said, “about a year later, Ruth Idahosa asked her sister Daisy who runs a school in Abuja to give me a job in their school. Immediately Daisy met my daughter, she liked and took her to live with her while I was employed as a bus assistant at the Church of God Mission International School, Abuja, where my daughter was enrolled.
“Later she changed my daughter’s name from Svetta Omoruyi to Sofia Idahosa without my consent. It was when she started school that I discovered her name had been changed. All the while my daughter lived with them, I never knew Daisy’s house. I only saw my daughter during school hours. She was less than two years old when Daisy took her and she lived with them till she was 4 years old.
“I thought they were just helping my daughter and I. I didn’t know they had ulterior motives. When I suspected so, I demanded that my daughter come live with me. When they released her to me, they stopped being responsible for her school fees which I have been paying.
“Sometime around April/May 2023, my daughter had a toilet infection. I took her to the hospital for treatment and she was examined by the doctor and treated. It was infection treatment that they are using against me. However, trouble started two months ago when I was arrested. I was accused of keeping mum over the allegation that my daughter was molested by my ex-boyfriend Samuel Adams.
“Police officers from Force Criminal Investigations Department, FCID, Speccial Investigations Unit, Area 10, came to school to arrest Samuel and I. My daughter was taken to social welfare service and is still there to date. I have been denied access to her.
“After spending four days in detention, I was released. The police said that my 6-year-old daughter, Svvetta, retracted her initial statement that I was aware of the molestation. It is obvious that my daughter is being tutored on what to say per time. Unfortunately, Samuel is still being held in police custody for two months without being charged to court for a crime he didn’t commit.
“Because the police have refused to properly investigate the case, the life of a young promising and hardworking young man is on the line. I am, therefore, calling on the Inspector General of Police and well-meaning Nigerians to come to Samuel’s rescue. An innocent person should not rot in police custody. I also want to have access to my daughter.” she stated.
When contacted through a text message, Ruth Idahosa said: “Kindly ensure that our side is included in the narrative you published, as is your ethical and legal obligation. Wishing you well.
Pathfinders Justice Initiative (PJI) is a non-government organization which has operated in Nigeria since 2014. We always place the privacy and confidentiality of our beneficiaries first and therefore our policy is not to comment on our work or any matters involving our beneficiaries. We will not deviate from that policy only to state unequivocally that any of the recent allegations against PJI and/or Ruth Evon Idahosa in her capacity as Executive Director relating to claims by Faith Omoruyi are completely false. Any additional questions regarding this matter should be directed to the relevant Abuja legal authorities. We will not be making any further statements on this matter.”
However, when contacted, the Public Relations Officer, FCID EGUAOJE FUNMILAYO said: “I don’t know why he is still in detention, but if you want to make enquiries, call me on Monday. I don’t know the particular suspect you are talking about, but I need to find out through the IPO, interview him and know the nature of the case.”