-How The Elder Statesman Hounded Her Until She Lost Her Pregnancy, Because She Is From A Poor Home
My name is Celine E. Isidomen I met Chief Edwin Clarke’s son, Ibrahim Babs Clark, we met over a year ago, he approached me for a relationship which I agreed and we started dating. Babs rented an apartment for me at Wuse 2 where I was sub- letting for three hundred thousand naira. Two months after, he suggested that we moved to a more convenient apartment so that we can stay together and understand ourselves better. I went [in] search of a better apartment where I finally secured one at GODAB Estate, which is located at Life Camp at the cost of over 2.5 million naira per annum (4 Bedroom Terrace Duplex), while we were still yet to recover from the money we spent renting the home, and waiting for money to come so that we furnish the house, I became pregnant for my man (Ibrahim) one month after he rented the house for us. On observing that I have symptoms of pregnancy both of us visited the hospital to do pregnancy test after which it was confirmed that I was truly pregnant. We did some necessary tests where my man paid for every test conducted on me. Prior to my pregnancy, Babs took me to the hospital for various medical examinations like HIV and others, knowing that I passed all the medicals I went through. On realizing that I was free, we started making casual love without using any form of protection.
I took him to my mother who is staying in Suleja. Ibrahim Babs Clark categorically told my mother that he had intentions to marry me, assuring her that he wanted to send me back to school. I have a three year old daughter, whose pregnancy I conceived that made me dropped out of school. I dropped from school when I was in 300 Level at FUT Minna as a Chemical Engineering student. When my mother saw the seriousness with which he came, she prayed for both of us, since then Babs had visited my family about three times, where he also
showered my mum with gifts and sometimes he will give me some money to buy things for my mother. I want to clearly state that Babs Clark truly loves him like he claimed; he got a job with NNPC exactly one year ago. To prove his love for me and acceptance of the fact that he was the owner of the pregnancy, he took me to a highly rated private hospital known as Lisa Premier Hospital, Jabi.
After one of the tests carried out it was discovered I have minor complication which was corrected. Though, very delighted about the pregnancy, I advised him that we should tell my Pastor that I was pregnant because I would not want my mum to know that I got pregnant again out of wedlock, Babs encouraged me not to be scared saying that when the pregnancy was three months old he will inform his father about it. But I insisted that his father to know about it since the conception was at its early stages, peradventure he does not want it, and we can find other solutions to take care of it. He said he told some members of his family about the development (not his father) but his elder brother was strongly against his action, though, he would not tell me anything because his appearance and action in our communication started dwindling, I suspect that things I don’t know was beginning to happen behind me because there was communication
breakdown between us. My Pastor who intervened in the matter in a meeting on the 28 of September, 2013 asked what my plan was with respect to the pregnancy, remember the pastor is like a godfather to me, he has been by my side encouraging and praying for me all the time. Babs told the Pastor that most of his sisters all gave birth at home without getting married, he insisted that I can have the child at home, it does not mean anything but my Pastor rebuked him for making such a statement. While we were still in the middle of the discussion at home, his elder brother (Ebipere Clarke) called him on phone; Ebipere is a Director in an undisclosed
government agency. Knowing that something is fishing behind me, I quickly called the attention of my man and I threatened him to abort the pregnancy if he does not want it. You should not also forget that Ibrahim is a 41 year old man but yet to be married according to what he told me. While Ibrahim was talking with his brother on phone, I overhead his brother shouting at him and
asking him when he is travelling abroad, in the process, he ordered Babs to come back to the house immediately, I asked him why his elder brother is controlling him in such a manner, I questioned him if his brother as old as he is, is the one to take decisions over his life, little did I know that Babs was travelling the same evening we were discussing without telling me, but the Pastor told me to put myself together that all will be well but I wept uncontrollably . One
hour after he left my house, I called him on phone but he would not pick his call, meanwhile, the next day being 29th of September I called him to know his whereabouts since I was using a blackberry phone, it indicated that he is in Dublin and I was disturbed that the father of my unborn child had finally left me with his pregnancy to suffer alone. The duration of my
pregnancy before he left oversea was over 9 weeks old at that time. Before his departure, he gave me $2,000 dollars to buy baby things since I was an expectant mother. To my surprise he called me on phone to say if any of his family called to confirm about the house he rented for us, I should tell them we both rented the house and I asked again what exactly was going on but
he replied I should do what he told me and I agreed to what he told me. I was left to ponder in my own world, Babs father to my shock personally called me around 7pm and I don’t know how he got my number, he said I should come to the house and I went in company of my friend who is like a mother to me. At first I thought that the purpose of calling me was for good things to come, you should also not forget that they all know me in the house that I have a relationship
with their brother, because he usually brings me to the house, though the Chief Clarke must have been briefed about me because he can hardly see, me and my Babs both attended his father’s 88th birthday last year. When I arrived the house, Chief Clarke started interrogating me, in one of his questions, he sought to know where I came from and I told him, he responded
that he does not know my family. To my chagrin he said if intend to keep the pregnancy I should keep it on the condition that a DNA test will be conducted to ascertain the biological father of the unborn child which I consented to, again he said if it happens to be his son’s child, the child will be collected from me but I will be coming to collect stipend for my upkeep on monthly basis, he
threatened that within the period of my pregnancy I should not dare call Babs on phone that if I do, he will get me arrested, he revealed that his action was motivated by what Ebipere told him about the relationship I had with Babs. But my friend was worried over the kind of statement coming from a supposed Elder Statesman, I pleaded with him to treat him as though I am one of his daughters, he angrily shouted at me, saying I should not call him daddy, that he is not my father but also maintained his stand on the embargo he placed on my communication with his son abroad. A week later, his Daughter (Timi Clarke) called to know where I was, and I told her in my house at Wuse 2, she questioned why I was still living in the apartment Babs rented, then I told her that the rent was yet to expire, she called again the next day, this time she said I should abort the pregnancy insisting that I will suffer peradventure I decide to keep the pregnancy, she said that Babs told them he does not want the pregnancy, I asked to confirm if she spoke with the
brother, she said yes. I told her to give me his international number so that I can speak to him to also confirm what she told me, she immediately cut the call on me, five hours later, I called Chief Clarke’s Personal Assistant who happens to be one of their cousins to brief him on what transpired between me and Timi,and I appealed for Babs number to speak with him over the latest development, also in a bid to confirm from him that he does not want the pregnancy. He registered me for ante-natal which also goes to show that he wants the baby, I want to say
he spent a lot to ensure that I am medically okay while I was pregnant, the PA, cut the call on me with an excuse that he was busy, after a while, I was called to come to their Asokoro home again as instructed by Chief Clark, I called Madam Ify to accompany me, he started another round of investigation by first asking who rented the house at GODAB Estate and following Babs instruction on who rented the house, I obediently told Chief that we both rented the house, he
asked how much I contributed I told him 1.5 million naira, without knowing that
the game plan had taken a new dimension, he interrupted me by calling me a liar, he called his son (Babs) on phone to also confirm what I just told him, to my greatest shock the voice on the phone denied what I said and instead said he rented the apartment all alone, then I quickly interrupted by telling him on top of my voice that I am hearing all that he is telling his dad, I reminded him of what we agreed on prior his emergency journey abroad he kept mum, and
the father exclaimed that I should keep my mouth shut, and accused him of trying to deceive him again with my ‘innocent’ voice and cut the conversation between him and his son. But what I don’t know is if the voice I heard was really Bab’s. Babs that I know could hardly disgrace or humiliate me in the public. At this point, I was confused, but on the other hand, I also believed
that he must have been pressured to do what he did. In description, Ibrahim is a very quiet, easy going gentleman and have human feelings, he cannot betray me as it were, he is the direct opposite of his father, and he has a large heart, humble and respectful, unlike his father. Chief Clark against all odds, threatened me in diverse ways even when he was supposed to feel sorry for the development. He ordered that I should give him the key to the rented apartment
I declined to give him and at that point he commanded his boys to forcefully collect the house keys from me. I appealed that he should allow me to stay until the rent expires but he was adamant, I wept, begged him asking if he wants to render me useless, hopeless and helpless, because if he ejects me from the house with my condition I will suffer the consequence. At the statement, he flared up ordering me to drop the key or see the other side of him, I became
angry and heartless that I refused to give away the key of the house, I ran out of the compound, when the Police Officers guarding him came to carry out his orders, they were handicapped because they know me very well with his son and lacks the courage to arrest me. As I ran out from the gate, I saw a car belonging to men of the State Security Service (SSS) chasing the taxi I
boarded, I briefed the driver of what happened and he vowed that they will not catch him, the Driver happens to be experienced that he maneuvered his car that they could not come closer to his vehicle and from Asokoro, we landed at Apo Village. I went straight to my Pastor to explain my ordeals but the Pastor was perplexed at Chief’s extreme action. I decided to go move some of my belongings from the house so that he will not send his boys to go and loot them. I also
have a little daughter and wouldn’t know where to go with her. I passed through hell from the hands of Chief Edwin Clark and members of his family, when I was away I was told by the security official guiding the building that some men on black suit came looking for me, also accompanying the men were two police officers in two black range rover jeeps it now dawn on me that Chief Clark is still trailing me. While the stress was too much on me, I misplaced my Nokia Lumia in one day and on the next day I lost my Black Berry Bold 5 phone. They
resorted to monitoring my movement; in fact, my life was under serious threat. I became tattered and lost in deep thoughts which later resulted in miscarriage, I lost my unborn baby; I went to a very cheap hospital in a place called Karmo because I can hardly sustain the bills of the original hospital I registered and since Babs is nowhere in sight, being my pillar of support. The said hospital asked me to pay #150, 000 for ante-natal which I don’t have. The house he rented was in his name and the receipt of the house is also with Babs, since the miscarriage took place I have not been myself, I am still feeling serious pains, the miscarriage took the form of an abortion because the clinic had to clear off the rest from my system, the miscarriage happened in November of 2013. In December, while I was in my house thinking on how I will manage
myself as the Christmas was fast approaching some men suspected to be police officers came as early as 6:30am, they send they were asked by Chief EdwinClark with the order to eject me from the house, I told them they don’t have the right to eject me because they don’t know how we rented the apartment, it became another struggle, then I brought an alternative which I sold to them, asking them that since it a 4 bedroom terrace duplex, they can take the two bedroom up and leave the other two for me because I don’t want to be stranded, the demanded the key to the entrance of the gate to the house, I refused, it came to the height of it when guns were used to threaten me, with fear, I removed the key to the entrance to the sitting room and gave to them, they did everything within their reach to eject me but all attempt failed. They moved me to Life Camp Police Station; I agitated that they should give me money to rent an alternative house elsewhere. After giving my own side of the story, the woman DPO took sides with Chief Clark saying that as long as the house was rented by Chief’s son, he has every right to eject me, but I made her to understand that the son is 41 years old and not a child, the police woman asked
me to call Babs but I told her that Babs refused to pick his calls, I even heard from reliable source that he (Babs)came back to the country, yet he would not pick my calls. I got hint from a reliable source that he came back on the 12th of December of last year he never called me, the police said it goes to show that he does not want me anymore, but I was convinced that he was
under serious pressure not to pick my calls or interact with me and he usually obeys his dad on any instruction given to him. Even while the police were insisting I move out from the house, I refused with a demand that I want to see Babs because he is the only person that has the right to eject me from the house. In the midst of these troubles, frustrations and humiliations from Chief
Clark and his family, I had a miscarriage. I challenged the DPO telling her to remember that she has a daughter, if anyone treats her daughter the same way they are treating me will they like it? I challenged the DPO saying just because of the little money Chief will give her as bribe after all the dilly dally, I asked for three months to give me time to get a new appointment. ButNprior to that my Pastor got me a Lawyer who instructed that I should go get medical report of the pregnancy which I got, I also got a hint that chief’s security operatives occasionally come to continue their ejection action against me, but each time they came, they usually meet my absence, the last they came was on the 21st of January, 2014, but before then, they came on the
18th of same month and I was inside the room without their knowledge because I switched off the light. I overhead one of them say if they get hold of me I will be assaulted and thrown out and I was listening to them with rapt attention, they were there for about 30 minutes before they left. Immediately, I called my Lawyer who advised me not to make trouble. Three days later
(21st January), they resurfaced with a carpenter with the intention to change the keys to the house, based on that, I showed up and they were amazed to know that I was inside, I demanded to know what gave them the audacity to wanting to change the keys to the house, one of them said it was Babs who sent them, they went ahead to say that Ibrahim was the one who instructed that the carpenter should follow to execute the changes. I insisted that before any
changes will on, I want to see the man who sent them, so that I can obey his orders, I was taken
to Life Camp Police Station at about 3:30pm that fateful day. I was left at the station till about 6:30pm, at last I was thrown into the cell, look at my what mosquito did to me (showing the Journalist her back, while he takes her photograph), I suffered a lot, Chief Clark’s daughter threatened that I abort the unborn child else she will deal with me, while I was in the cell I wailed a whole lot. One of the Police Officers said my offence amounts to criminal offence, and they will accuse me of it. In the morning when I was brought out and I about to leave, I asked the DPO where to go from here because I have been denied of my accommodation, but the DPO advised that I should ask Chief Clark to give me some money to rent a smaller apartment, while
there, an information came that Chief Clark had sent someone to bring some money, there and then they handed three hundred thousand naira into my hands and forced me to sign the money, then I questioned the legality of the money, challenged the fact that it was too small, even though I collected the money under duress, it is not enough. From the station, they took me to the house and packed my belongings outside, I was treated like a nobody, I was disgraced, and impunity was meted on me by Chief Clark and his boys. The DCO of the same station also played a role in my ordeal because he ordered for my arrest, he is same person that supervised my ejection, because I don’t have money, Chief Clark inspired Police Officers to maltreat me because I suspect they were bribed and highly motivated against me. I was ordered by the police with
instructions from Edwin Clark not to ever step my foot on the compound. Ibrahim knew that I have a daughter that she calls him daddy, I have been to Bab’s office twice before things fell apart. As at today, I have not been there, I am just hanging out with friends. Several attempts I made to see Babs failed, even when I went to the house, one of the officers said Edwin Clark instructed that I should not enter his compound again. Lest I forget, the day I was released
after they had succeeded in ejecting me, as I was coming back from a certain visit to a friend’s house at Wuse 2, on my way back, a black jeep with two fierce looking men with gun, alighted from the jeep and kidnapped me, took me to an undisclosed location where I was detained till 2:30am, one of them told his colleague in pidgin English “dem say make we no kill her, but threaten her,” they warned me that if they ever see me with Babs again I will be dealt with, all these while they covered my faced, on that ungodly hour they dropped me off where they carried me from. After that incident, we have kept a long distance; they have not bothered me again. I want adequate compensation from Chief Clark and unreserved apologies because I passed through ‘hell’, I was used and dumped by Clark’s son, and they left me restless, hopeless and
helpless. They should pay dearly for their role in making me lose my baby, for the torture they carried out on me. As we speak, my mum knows nothing about the maltreatment but she is aware of the pregnancy and the miscarriage, also she has finally retired to the village due to some health challenges she is going through. I also want to put it on record that I am from a poor home and my father’s name does not ring a bell, a reason I suspect was responsible for the heartless treatment I got from Clark and members of his family.
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