A foster mother, Cynthia Salami, has called on the Kwara State Ministry of Social Development to obey a court order directing the release of a four-year-old girl, Salami Penuel, currently in government custody.
Salami told journalists in Ilorin on Monday that Penuel, whom she had cared for since birth, was taken from her on March 4, 2025, following a complaint by the child’s biological mother, Ayanniyi Oluwatobi. The child was placed in the state’s Children Reception Center despite an interim court order, issued on March 28 and served on April 7, granting Salami temporary custody.
According to Salami, she met Oluwatobi during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when the then teenage mother was in distress. Salami said she supported Oluwatobi and took full responsibility for Penuel’s care after birth. “Tobi never showed interest in the child. She abandoned her and returned after two years to claim custody,” she alleged.
Salami said she was invited by the ministry and was later ordered to hand over the child without a formal hearing. She expressed shock that the child was removed without legal due process, despite her efforts to seek custody through the Family Court.
“Penuel is not a neglected child. She’s being kept among the needy while she has a home and a family. This is emotional abuse,” she said.
In response, the Commissioner for Social Development, Hajia Maryam Nnafatima Imam, through legal representatives, said the state government has filed to set aside the court order. She added that the child is in safe custody and that her biological mother is still alive.
“The child is secure and this is with the mother’s consent. We do not comment on matters involving minors,” the commissioner stated.