How Tonto Charity Dikeh Legally Got Full Custody Of Her Son, King Andre
Nigerian actress, Tonto Charity Dikeh must be feeling on top of the world presently. The mom-of-1 who once referred to getting adequate security for her son as her best investment just got more.
An Abuja Customary court finally granted Dikeh full custody of her 3-year-old son, King Andre, and gave her ex-husband, Olakunle Churchill conditional visitation rights.
Speaking to the actress’ legal representative, Barrister Ukechukwu C Uju-Azorji, he confirmed that an Abuja customary court gave Dikeh full custody of their son after she was sued by Churchill. The Barrister described the case as a very hectic and dramatic one.
Uju-Azorji revealed that there was a time Churchill’s Attorney filled a N200k case against Dikeh, requesting her to foot his client’s transportation fare to the court because they presumed she was using her son’s school runs as an excuse to drag the case, thereby making Churchill spend so much money traveling to and from Ghana to attend hearing in court. Dikeh however won the case and their request was not granted them.
When asked if he was aware of the speculations that his client has denied Churchill visitation rights which he was legally awarded, he answered that the visitation rights were based on some conditions which the latter has failed to meet.
He added that Churchill failed to pay for child support and some part of their son’s expenses. He further mentioned that Churchill was instructed by the court to pay for a confidant, who would supervise the visits after Dikeh evidently proved to the court that she could not trust him unsupervised around their son at his young age.
When probed on what the evidence was, Uju-Azorji said:
“We gave the court physical evidence that the man can be very diabolical and he doesn’t have the child’s interest at heart. Even in court, one of the judges said it seems the man is more interested in getting back at Tonto and not necessarily his interest for the child. Churchill was asked to pay N200K monthly for Andre’s upkeep which he hasn’t done. Churchill agreed to pay Andre’s school fees directly to the school but he stopped after paying once and we have emails from the school to back this claim.”
On Churchill’s visitation rights, Uju-Azorji maintains that the later can go back to the court if he feels he has met all the conditions and he is still being denied access to his son.
When asked if he was aware that Dikeh had supposedly given their son her own last name, the Barrister said he has no legal documents available to him to prove that.
On if Churchill can sue his client if truly she has changed their son’s last name, Uju-Azorji posited:
“Legally, the man is not fulfilling his legal parental duties as instructed by the court. So in Yoruba traditions, they can say Tonto is wrong if it’s true but legally, she is the only one being responsible for the child as a parent so she is not wrong.”
This is coming just a few days after Nigerian actress, Lola Alao got full custody for her late friend and colleague, Aisha Abimbola‘s children, following a legal battle with their deadbeat father.