The paternity of a four-year-old boy, Johannes Owen Martins, is causing serious disagreement between his estranged parents, Kelvin Uyi Martins, a Nigerian-Danish based in Denmark, and Sandra Palmer Agho based in Benin City.
The parents were said to have had the baby in 2019 out of wedlock even as Martins was married to a woman, Afhane, in Denmark at the time.
It was learnt that Sandra had on January 22nd 2020 sworn to affidavit giving her consent to Martins to take custody of their son, Johannes in Denmark but in a twist of events, Sandra in another affidavit she swore to at the Edo State High Court in Benin this year, withdrew her earlier consent of custody claiming she was deceived to give it.
Consequently, the Edo State Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has said it has commenced investigation into a case of human trafficking reported to the command by Barrister Collins Ogiegbaen on behalf of one Sandra Palmer Martins against Denmark-based Kelvin Martin.
The Benin Zonal Commander of the agency, Nduka Nwanwenne, said in a letter that it was alleged that “complainant’s husband Kelvin Uyi Martins ‘M’ who lives in Denmark deceived the complainant (Sandra Martins) into desposing to an affidavit of consent dated 22nd January 2020 for him to take their son Johannes Owen Martin ‘M’ from Nigeria to Denmark. That Kelvin ‘M’ has refused the complainant access to their son.”
He added that the command on May 24, 2023 had received an affidavit of withdrawal of consent sworn at the High Court of Justice of Edo State by Sandra Palmer Martins.
Meanwhile, a Certified True Copy of the International Criminal Police Organisation Report dated 27th June, 2022 , with Reference No. AB:4099/x/ICPOL/LOS/VCP/3142 , signed by the then Deputy Commissioner of Police IINTERPOL, Force CID Annex, Alagbon Close Ikoyi Lagos, DCP Martin Nwogoh, confirmed
that Johannes Owen martins is confirmed to be registered in the Danish police system as a child of Sandra Palmer Agho { mother ) and kelvin uyi martins ( Father).
The report was based on a Petition by Sandra Palmer Agho, through her Lawyers -Obasuyi & Obasuyi in a Petition dated 22nd June, 2022, titled Case of Abduction, Threats to Life and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of the Peace against one Kelvin Uyi Martins to the Police to investigate the allegations stated above.
The findings based on the report of the Danish Branch of INTERPOL among others said on interrogation of kelvin Uyi Martins by the Danish police authorities, he confirmed that he had sex with Sandra Palmer Agho in Nigeria while on holiday, which resulted in the birth of Johannes Owen Martins in year 2019.
That Sandra Palmer handed over custody of her son Johannes Owen Martins to kelvin Uyi Martins and requested that he be taken to Denmark.
That kelvin Owen Martins had at several times offered Sandra the opportunity to come to Denmark to see her son and she had wanted to take Johannes instead.
That a DNA test confirmed that johannes Owen Martins is the son of kelvin Uyi Martins and Sandra Palmer Agho. And that he always sent the pictures of Johannes to Sandra and were always speaking on phone and on via video calls.
The Original Report was prepared by the Danish Branch of the Interpol in Danish Language and interpreted in English Language .
On the NAPTIP report, Counsel to Kelvin Martins, Barrister Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq, when contacted, simply said: “Kelvin says he has nothing to say.”
