By Peter Ajayi
A Nigerian woman, Adasu, has advised men to allow their children to live with their mothers in the event of a divorce, following the tragic death of a 16-year-old girl living with her father and stepmother.
Adasu, a chemical engineer, made the comments on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, after the teenager reportedly ingested a poisonous substance at home and died on Sunday morning. According to Adasu, the deceased left a note for her father suggesting distress linked to her living situation.
She wrote:
“We just lost a very young, pretty girl in the neighborhood this morning. Yesterday, while her parents were in church, she drank a poisonous substance. The note she left for her dad read: ‘Your mistake is no more dad, I erased it.’ She’s just 16, and has been living with her dad and stepmother—I think that tells the whole story.”
Adasu warned that children often face difficulties when living with stepparents and emphasized the importance of prioritizing children’s welfare during divorce:
“If your marriage goes south, please allow the children to go with the mother if you know you’re going to remarry. Women don’t always see another person’s children as their own. Stepchildren often experience hardship under stepmothers. Don’t let your child go through such pain.”
Her message has sparked discussions on child welfare and custody arrangements in Nigeria, highlighting the emotional impact of divorce on children and the importance of supportive family environments.
