Man acquitted of molesting seven-year-old daughter in fresh custody, property dispute with in-laws
After wriggling free from an allegation of incest, man returns home to face fresh conspiracies, including removal of his house documents and battle for custody of his daughter. SEUN OGUNBIYI
After wriggling free from an allegation of incest, man returns home to face fresh conspiracies, including removal of his house documents and battle for custody of his daughter. SEUN OGUNBIYI writes.
A Nigerian man, Bitrus Daniyan, who was previously acquitted of allegations that he molested his seven-year-old daughter, is now embroiled in a renewed legal battle with his late wife’s family over the custody of the child and the alleged removal of his house documents.
Daniyan is accusing his late wife’s sisters of taking possession of his property documents while he was in custody, an allegation they strongly deny.
According to Daniyan, the dispute began on August 9, 2024, when he was invited to Ajah Police Station following an allegation that he had molested his daughter.
“At the station, the police seized my international passport and those of my daughter both Nigerian and U.S. passports,” he said.
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He added that on September 5, 2024, he was arrested by officers from the Gender Unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, and detained until September 12, when he was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court.
Daniyan said he was subsequently remanded at Kirikiri Medium Security Custodial Centre.
However, on November 26, 2024, the court discharged and acquitted him after the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued legal advice in his favour.
Alleged theft of house documents
Daniyan said that shortly after his release, he discovered that the original documents to his house had been taken from his residence.
“On November 30, 2024, I discovered that the original documents of my house property had been taken by my late wife’s sisters while I was in custody. Fortunately, I had digital copies stored in the cloud,” he said.
He said he later informed the sisters that the documents were backed up electronically.
Battle over custody of daughter
The dispute escalated in February 2025 when Daniyan received a court summons indicating that his late wife’s sisters were seeking full custody of his daughter and the right to take her out of the country without his consent.
In July 2025, a magistrate ordered that the child be placed under the care of the Lagos State Social Welfare Services for three months.
However, due to the unavailability of the magistrate handling the case, the matter was adjourned several times.
In December 2025, the court ruled that the child should remain in the custody of the Lagos State Welfare Service.
Police Investigation
Daniyan said he reported the alleged theft of his house documents to the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 Command in March 2025.
According to him, the investigating police officer invited his late wife’s sisters, Chinyere and Chidinma Akahara, who allegedly admitted taking the documents and handing them to their uncle, Dr. A.B.C. Orjiako.
He said the uncle allegedly confirmed possession of the documents during a phone call with the police but failed to honour a police invitation. Instead, a lawsuit was filed against both Daniyan and the police, claiming that the investigation violated their fundamental human rights.
The court later dismissed the case on September 30, 2025, and reportedly fined the sisters’ lawyer N500,000 for filing the suit.
Social media controversy
During the custody dispute, Daniyan also accused his in-laws of granting a social media interview in which they allegedly made defamatory claims about him.
He said the magistrate presiding over the custody case frowned at the development and temporarily denied all parties access to the child while she remained in the care of the Social Welfare Services.
Access was later restored following subsequent court rulings.
Accuses police of withholding daughter’s passports
Daniyan also alleged that the police have yet to release his daughter’s Nigerian and U.S. passports, which were seized during the initial investigation.
“After I was discharged and acquitted, only my international passport was returned to me. My daughter’s passports are still with the police,” he said.
Alleged illegal occupation of property
He further alleged that his late wife’s sisters had taken illegal possession of his house with the support of their uncle, who had earlier confirmed being in possession of the property documents.
The case has since been transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Alagbon, Lagos.
Daniyan said several meetings scheduled by the police to investigate the matter have had to be repeatedly postponed; something he believed was a deliberate attempt to delay the investigation.
Police response
When contacted, the Investigating Police Officer handling the case, Mr. Abu, said he had invited both parties and their lawyers to his office but meetings had not been successful.
“I have summoned both lawyers and the families twice, not three times as claimed. Whenever we call for a meeting, one party says they are in Abuja or unavailable,” he said.
He added that the police cannot proceed with the investigation until all parties are present.
“We need to sit down and hear from everyone. Once that happens, the investigation will begin. We will try to reschedule another meeting,” he said.
Sisters’ response
Efforts to reach one of the sisters, Chinyere Cassandra Akahara, were unsuccessful, as she did not answer our correspondent’s multiple calls.
However, the second sister, Chidinma Roseline Akahara, briefly spoke with our correspondent, stating that since the matter is already with the police, the authorities should comment on it.
When asked for further clarification, she said she was at work and would return the call later. She had, however, not returned the call as at the time of filing this report.
Lawyer denies allegation of theft
The sisters’ lawyer, Barrister Chisom Onuoha, denied the allegation that the house documents were stolen.
According to him, the documents were taken for safekeeping because the late wife had taken a bank loan to finance the construction of the property.
He explained that the loan was being serviced through deductions from her salary at the time.
After her death, he said, the loan, estimated at about ₦24 million, was eventually cleared using her terminal benefits from her employer, SEPLAT Energy.
He added that according to the deceased’s employment records, her benefits were to be distributed as 80 percent to her daughter and 10 percent each to her two sisters.
Onuoha claimed the sisters objected when Daniyan allegedly attempted to sell the property without considering the funds used to settle the loan.
“The ladies took the documents and gave them to someone for safekeeping until the issue of the house is resolved,” he said.
“It is not a case of theft. They openly admitted taking the documents because they believe their money was used to settle the loan on the property.”
He added that the matter is still under police investigation and expressed optimism that a meeting between all parties would soon take place.
