Lagos - 29-year old upcoming
Nollywood actor, Kanayo Awurum
used his son as collateral for a
N350,000 loan,
The suspect narrated that his friend,
one Emmanuel suggested the idea
and also introduced him to the
buyers.
Kanayo revealed to the police that
he persuaded his pregnant lover to
use their son as a collateral to
collect a loan that will be paid back
in three months.
Two weeks later Kanayo left his lover
saying he needed to return home for
two days, and did not return.
The woman narrated ordeal to a
family friend, who alerted the police
of the situation.
Kanayo’s story
“I met Ugochi during our secondary
school days in Amakaohia Compre
hensive High School, Ikeduru, Imo
state. We became lovers and
continued our relationship after
graduation. Fortunately, she got
pregnant in 2012. I asked her to
keep the baby because I loved her
so much and wanted her to be the
mother of my children. I met her
brother who told me what to do to
legalize the relationship. Sincerely, I
wanted to legalize it but, I did not
have much money so I left Ikeduru
for Owerri. I am a trained painter
and was also fortunate to be allowed
to feature in some Nigerian movies.
During that time, I called her
severally to explain why I had to run
to Owerri. She was angry and refused
to pick my call or see reasons with
me.”
Kanayo Awurum and his wife
“With the little money that I had, I
was ready to marry Ugochi. I pleaded
with her severally and luckily, she
accepted. I made another attempt to
ask for her hand in marriage and
her family vehemently refused. They
threatened to get me arrested if I
dared to come close to their sister
again. But because she loves me so
much, we continued our relationship
till she became pregnant again.
“At this point we needed to leave
town before her family would notice
that she is pregnant again. I
convinced her to elope with me to
Lagos where we will start our lives
together till her family is ready to
accept me as their in-law.
“I was already broke and was
sourcing for loan. My plan was to
travel to Lagos and contact my
mentor, Jerry Leonard who is also an
actor and film producer. All the
persons that I met for a loan refused
but another actor, Emmanuel, gave
me the only way out.
“He told me to use what I have to
get what I don’t have. Initially, I
wanted to use my son as a collateral
to get a loan but Emmanuel said
that outright sale will be the best.
He was the one who contacted, Mrs
Ogechi from Port Harcourt with the
promise that I will pay him N50,000.
I simply told Ugochi that the baby
will be kept with one woman till we
settle down. Since we were eloping,
there was no need to contact any
family member. Luckily, the woman
paid N350, 000 and I gave Emma
nuel Ibeh, N50,000.
“I contacted my mentor, Jerry and he
was able to secure an
accommodation for us in Ikotun area
of Lagos.
“I know that what I did was bad but
I did it to protect my fiancée. She
will be an object of ridicule by her
family if they discovered that she is
pregnant again without a husband. I
returned to Owerri when my brother
called me that there is a big
painting job. My plan was to also
raise money to buy back our son.
“Meanwhile, we were having several
issues with the house and I asked
the landlord to refund us part of the
money we paid. Unfortunately, I
never knew that Ugochi had reported
me to the police. I was arrested
when I returned to Lagos to collect
part of the money we paid for that
house at Ikotun. I am sorry but all I
did was out of love.”
Ugochi did not know about the
plans to use the child as collateral,
she insisted
“I am pregnant and he convinced me
that travelling down to Lagos with a
small child would be stressful. He
told me that my son Samuel will be
kept in his sister’s house for about
two months when we would have
settled down. It was also his son, so
I felt that whatever plan he has was
for our own good. I never knew that
he was having money problem. We
just reconciled and he was taking
good care of me and my son ever
since he returned. He only told me
that the process of settling down is
very stressful.
“When we got to Lagos, I kept
reminding him of our son and he
told me that he would soon return
to Owerri to pick him up. Towards
the end of April, he travelled home
for a painting job and left me with
little or nothing to eat. Life was hard
and I relied on the landlord,
neighbours and his mentor Jerry to
survive. I pleaded with him to return
our son and he kept telling me that
I should not be in a hurry. I was
forced to confess to the police when
I learnt that he wanted to collect
back the money he paid for the
house that we were living in. I felt
he had abandoned me, that was why
I opened up to his mentor Jerry. I
am aware that he wanted us to
relocate from that house but he was
no longer providing for me.”
Ugochi recalled how their
relationships had started:
” I was and I am still in love with
him. I have dated him for more than
10 years and so far he is a caring
gentleman. When I got pregnant in
2012, he asked me to keep the child.
He also made effort to see my family
but when he was given the list of
things to buy, he ran away. I was
devastated and refused to pick his
calls when he tried to get across to
me. He even sent his friends to me.
“My family protected me till I gave
birth in November 2012. Sometime
in October 2014, he returned and
started begging again. I love him, so
I had no choice but to accept him
back. He was actually ready to marry
me but my family members refused.
They even sent my brother to their
house to drop a piece of kolanut.
What that meant was that they are
at liberty to beat him up, if he dares
to come around seeking for my hand
in marriage. I love him and I am
pregnant again. I cannot bear the
shame for the second time that was
why I agreed to elope with him.
“This was why I did not even contact
my family when I was dying of
hunger and it was obvious that my
baby might not return. He actually
called his mentor and told him that
our son died in a car accident while
they were on their way back to
Lagos.”
The woman said she could not
believe that Kanayo could sell their
son. Still, she confessed:
“I miss my son and I want him back.
He was fooling me all this while, but
I love him.”
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