“We do not know who our mother is...” Lamented three school children abandoned by their father in a boarding school for eight (8) years!

This story will bring you very close to your tears. I felt so emotional and I almost burst into tears but the environment I found myself while reporting the story was not conducive. Curious eyes would stare at me for explanations. Lolz. But, have you noticed that whenever your heart becomes heavy and you allow the tears to flow, that you feel so relieved and light afterwards than when you repress it?  Well, maybe it’s an individual thing. Please read below the heart-breaking story of these three innocent children…….

Seun Adepegba, 14, Seyi, 10 and Titilola, 13 were abandoned by their father, Mr. Segun Adepegba in a boarding school in Abule-Iroko in the Ado-Ota Local Government Area of Ogun state since 2007. Their tale of sorrow began in their infanthood when their father was separated from their mother. The man, who being in custody of the children, enrolled them in a boarding school because he could not afford to take care of them.

The proprietor of Solid Model College who spoke with Punch said,

“ Mr Adepegba told me his wife had just left him and that he could not afford to take care of them, being a jobless man. The children were very little. Seyi was two, while Titilola was five. He pleaded with me to accept them in the boarding school. His sister promised to bear the cost of their upkeep. They paid an initial N150, 000 for the three children for the first term. They never kept their promise. We expected him to come and take his children home for holiday but he never showed up until after four years and disappeared again. Since then till now, the school has expended over N7m on the upkeep of the children. “

“Whenever we called him and he realized who was talking on the phone, he would switch off his phone and for the next two weeks, the numbers would not be available. When the school contacted their father’s sisters, we were told that they had traveled out of the country. When we called one of them, we were told that they had sent money to Mr. Adepegba to defray the children’s school fees and upkeep. But Mr. Adepegba has never come here to make any payment since the initial deposit he made in 2007.”

“The school is not even bothered by the cost of their upkeep. But anytime the school closed for holiday and parents come around to take their children home, Titilayo would fall into a sober mood and twice, she had run away from the hostel without informing anyone. It was a resident who stopped her and brought her back to the school.

While reminiscing the old good days with their father, the children aid he celebrated birthdays with them but pointed out that they never met their mother.

Titilayo said’

“We do not know who our mother is. We grew up in Yaba, Lagos and all we remember is that there was a woman that washed our clothes and took care of us until we came here. We knew she was not our mother.”

Seyi the youngest said,

“Although I have a faint memory of my father, I will like to see him. If he comes today, I will ask him why he left us for so long.”

Seun added,

“I don’t care how long he has left us. I just want to see him. I really need to see him. “

Mr. Adepegba could not be reached at press time because his phones were switched off.