Nollywood actress Laide Bakare has raised concerns over the welfare of her two sons amid an ongoing custody dispute with her former husband.
Bakare, in a video shared online, alleged that her sons were being mistreated while living with their father and his wife.
The actress said her former husband had insisted that the boys remain in his care despite her desire to have them live with her.
She said her primary concern was not the custody arrangement itself but the treatment her children allegedly received in their father’s home.
“This is a sad reality for me because my boys aren’t with me, and I am not happy about that. That isn’t my bone of contention; my worry is my kids being with another woman who isn’t treating them well,” she said.
Bakare further alleged that she overheard a conversation involving her sons, her former husband’s wife and other children in the household.
According to the actress, the woman allegedly instructed one of the children not to beat one of Bakare’s sons in a manner that would leave visible marks, but to instead hold him by the neck.
Bakare said she recorded the conversation because she was on a phone call when she overheard it.
She also claimed that she had previously raised the matter with the children’s father but accused him of failing to act on her complaints.
“Family, friends, I have recorded evidence because nobody knew I was on call. I have complained about this to the baby’s father, who refuses to act on it because he is so much in love with his wife, and he will take my kids away from me as a form of punishment,” she said.
The actress said she had kept quiet about the matter for a long time but decided to speak publicly after growing increasingly concerned about her children.
“Now, I am crying out; I have been silent for so long. I am bringing it out; all I am asking is for my kids not to be with a stepmother,” she said.
Bakare also accused her former husband’s wife of presenting a different image in public from her alleged conduct at home.
The actress has three children. She has a daughter from her first marriage to United States-based businessman Olumide Okunfulure and two sons from her second marriage to businessman Mutairu Orilowo.
Bakare has previously spoken publicly about disagreements with her former husbands over the custody and welfare of her children.
