Controversy Over Mentally-Ill Woman’s Child Adoption, Court Orders Family To Prove Relationship

 

Relatives of a mentally-ill woman, Funke Olujide, has been ordered to appear before a family court sitting in Akure with valid documents to prove that they were her real family members.

The court gave the order following controversy between her family and officials of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs over the adoption of Funke’s child.

Funke, was said to have been delivered of the baby after being impregnated by an unknown person in Ofosu community in the Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo state.

Officials of the ministry took over the baby from Funke, who suffers from mental disorder and gave him to a couple in Lagos State for adoption.

Suspecting foul play, Funke’s family petitioned the police and officials of the ministry were arrested.

The counsel for the ministry, Mr Adelanke Akinrata, on Tuesday urged the court to order all parties involved in the matter to appear before it for appropriate questions to be put across to them on the matter.

“The family should come to court with evidence to show that they are the real relatives of the woman in the interest of justice and of the child,” he said.

While the counsel for the Olujide family ( Funke’s family), Mr Lawrence Asho, prayed the court to give him some time to enable him to have proper information about the case, saying he was just briefed about the matter some hours before the sitting.