A mother has reportedly been remanded in custody after allegedly taking her three children to the Southeast, changing their names and refusing to comply with a court order granting custody to their father.
The account, shared by legal platform Law Parlour, involved a couple from different parts of Nigeria whose marriage reportedly broke down after they had three children together.
According to Law Parlour, the family had been living in Plateau State when the woman allegedly took all three children to the Southeast and subsequently denied their father access to them.
The father then approached a court in Plateau State seeking legal intervention. The woman was reportedly invited to appear before the court on several occasions.
Following the proceedings, the court ordered that custody of the children be given to their father, while granting the mother access to them.
Law Parlour said the woman did not appeal the judgment but allegedly refused to comply with the custody order. She was subsequently held in contempt of court after failing to obey the order.
The legal platform further claimed that the woman continued to evade the court process and failed to appear before the court despite the contempt proceedings.
After efforts to secure compliance reportedly failed, the police became involved. She was eventually arrested and brought back to Plateau State, where the court order was enforced.
According to Law Parlour, the woman has now been remanded in custody over the matter.
The platform said the case was particularly concerning because one of its associates was involved in advising the lawyer representing the woman.
It said the lawyer was repeatedly advised to encourage the woman to return the children in compliance with the court order and, if she disagreed with the contempt ruling, pursue the appropriate legal remedies.
“Tell your client to return the children in compliance with the court order, then appeal the contempt order if she disagrees with it,” the platform said it advised the lawyer, adding that the woman could also appear before the court and demonstrate that she had purged herself of the contempt.
Law Parlour said the advice was not followed, resulting in the woman’s eventual arrest and remand.
The case highlights the legal consequences that can arise when a party fails to comply with a valid court order, particularly in custody disputes involving children.
