Who is affected?

I am Duru L. Chika (Sweetness), the first and legally wedded wife of Mr. Adewale Babs Omotunde from  Osun State. In 2010, he willfully abandoned me and our three children—two daughters and a son, and has never returned. For over 15 years, I have borne the full burden of parenting, providing, and protecting our children alone. He now unlawfully lives with another woman, violating both his vows and the Marriage Act. Our children—Clara, a special needs child; Cherish, who survived a tragic accident; and Golden, an aspiring pilot—have lived their entire lives without their father's support or presence. He relocated to Ogun state where he is cohabiting with one Ms Omotayo Ayegbusi when we have not been legally divorced.

What is at stake?
If this matter is not urgently addressed, it will set a dangerous precedent where men can freely abandon their families and engage in unlawful unions without facing consequences. Children like mine will continue to suffer silently. I risk collapsing under the emotional and financial weight of parenting alone. But beyond my personal pain lies a deeper societal threat—the normalization of bigamy and child neglect.

Why is now the time to act?
I am crying out not just for myself but for thousands of abandoned mothers and children who suffer in silence. The law must speak now. If justice is not served, the cycle will continue—more families broken, more children fatherless, and more women silenced. I ask that Mr. Omotunde be held accountable and that the government stands up for those of us living the harsh reality of abandonment.

A Call for Systemic Reform to Prevent Future Abandonments and Bigamy

In addition to seeking justice for my personal case, I am calling on the Nigerian government, the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Judiciary, and all relevant stakeholders to implement a centralized, computerized database of all statutory marriages in Nigeria.

Currently, the absence of a unified, accessible record system allows individuals to commit bigamy with ease, evading accountability and causing irreversible harm to legally wedded spouses and their children.

If such a digital registry were available, cases like mine, where a legally married man can disappear and unlawfully cohabit with another woman could be prevented or swiftly exposed. A digitized system would enable instant verification of marital status, empower the courts and law enforcement to act decisively, and protect countless women and children from deception, abandonment, and injustice.

This is not just a personal cry for help, it is a call for lasting reform that could safeguard the institution of marriage, uphold the law, and protect vulnerable families across Nigeria.