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The Mystery Of Nigeria’s Baby Lucy Lost In UK Transit - Crime - Nairaland 5s2s36

The Mystery Of Nigeria’s Baby Lucy Lost In UK Transit (19237 Views)

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AmazingGenius: 6:52pm On May 04
In June 2023, Border Force officers at Manchester Airport grew suspicious of a couple arriving from Lagos, Nigeria, with a baby girl. Their behaviour was odd, and a closer look at their documents sparked deeper concerns. The man, Raphael Ossai, presented a birth certificate naming his travel companion, Oluwakemi Olasanoye, as the mother of the child. But hidden inside their luggage, officers discovered a second birth certificate—this one naming another woman, Ossai’s British wife, as the child’s mother.

According to reports from the BBC, the couple were arrested and later pleaded guilty to immigration offences. They were sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by deportation. But the real story was just beginning. The true identity of the little girl—referred to by the court as Lucy—remains uncertain, nearly two years after her arrival in the UK.

What is known is that Lucy was born in rural Nigeria in September 2022 to a young, struggling student who gave her up for care just three days after birth. According to documents reviewed by the UK High Court, the child’s biological father is unknown. Lucy was placed in an orphanage, and Ossai later took custody of her with the intent to adopt.

However, the UK court determined that neither Ossai nor Olasanoye was biologically related to the child. They also lacked legal authority to remove her from Nigeria. DNA tests and conflicting documents suggested a breach of protocol, and perhaps more troublingly, potential harm to the child’s wellbeing.

The High Court proceedings have sought to answer a fundamental question: who is Lucy, and what is in her best interest?

Ossai—a music producer—and his British wife argued that they had always intended to raise Lucy as their daughter. They claimed they were acting out of love, not deception, and pointed to approval from Nigerian authorities for Ossai to foster the baby. Yet UK authorities found the couple’s actions deeply problematic.

A social worker from CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Service), who assessed Lucy in October 2023, painted a bleak picture. At just over a year old, the child showed signs of emotional neglect. She was described as distant, detached, and panic-prone—traits that the social worker said were not consistent with a child raised in a secure, loving environment.

The judge concluded that Lucy had not developed a basic parental attachment and had suffered “significant emotional harm” as a result of her illegal transfer and the instability that followed.

Ossai and his wife made a heartfelt plea to be allowed to care for Lucy, arguing that her placement with white foster carers in the UK risked a loss of cultural identity. “We see her as our daughter,” they told the court, with visible emotion.

But in April 2025, the High Court rejected their application. Justice Jonathan Cohen ruled that the couple’s earlier lies and unlawful actions outweighed their expressed intentions. He ordered Lucy be placed for adoption in the UK and have her name changed. The court emphasised the importance of giving the child the best opportunities for the future, including a stable and secure family.


Despite the judge’s decision, many questions remain unanswered—chief among them, who Lucy really is. With limited engagement from the Nigerian High Commission and no definitive identification of her biological parents, Lucy’s beginnings are shrouded in uncertainty.

While Ossai and his wife have been removed—or are pending deportation—Lucy remains in care, now living in at least her third foster home. Her story reflects the complexities of international child protection, cross-border adoption, and the human toll of migration policy gone wrong.

In the end, Lucy is more than a case file or court decision. She is a child in need of clarity, identity, and love. But for now, she remains a girl between nations—her true story still waiting to be told.

Source: https://businessday.ng/news/article/the-mystery-of-nigerias-baby-lucy-lost-in-uk-transit/

4 Likes

MightySparrow: 7:16pm On May 04
She is a Britishgeria.

gringringrin


Destiny has relocated the baby from shit hole country to food - in country.


Whichever way, she cannot be deported to Nigeria.
Good luck to her.

35 Likes 7 Shares

allen113: 7:20pm On May 04
Lucy no know wetin God dn do for her. 😂

53 Likes

nolzautoez: 2:14am On May 05
Mysterious baby

4 Likes

SFSNIPER(m): 2:14am On May 05
Lucy you are saved. 🫂

21 Likes 1 Share

seanery: 2:17am On May 05
A
kennie2015(m): 2:33am On May 05
MightySparrow:
She is a Britishgeria.

gringringrin


Destiny has relocated the baby from shit hole country to food - in country.


Whichever way, she cannot be deported to Nigeria.
Good luck to her.


And destiny has kept you locked up in your shit hole mind

19 Likes 1 Share

ursullalinda(f): 2:36am On May 05
If the child was legally adopted in Nigeria...l wonder what will make the foster parents lie

15 Likes 1 Share

Skillsnigeria: 2:47am On May 05
Hmmm
RandomFellow: 2:47am On May 05
Lucy was probably kidnapped. Fortunately, the kidnapping was not done by professionals. Either ways, her identity was going to be lost; better be lost in a loving home, than in a place where she might become a slave

12 Likes

Formularcr7: 3:18am On May 05
She's a Nigerian

2 Likes

dsocioemmy(m): 3:22am On May 05
Looking at the positives, Lucy will have a better life

6 Likes

ROTTWEILER007: 3:48am On May 05
AmazingGenius:

Source: https://businessday.ng/news/article/the-mystery-of-nigerias-baby-lucy-lost-in-uk-transit/
Tomorrow now she would spend thousands of pounds trying to locate her roots.

6 Likes

AmalaAtiEwedu: 3:59am On May 05
MightySparrow:
She is a Britishgeria.

gringringrin


Destiny has relocated the baby from shit hole country to food - in country.


Whichever way, she cannot be deported to Nigeria.
Good luck to her.


grin
ARISHEM: 4:01am On May 05
Destiny smiles at her

2 Likes

Nahunger(m): 4:14am On May 05

Lost ke, where all the CCTV footage??

BlocksNG:
cctv bi bawo? Alaye read the article joor.


Oya oya you don catch me,
I never see my 30k yet
na why I no read am 🥲🤗🙂😁

2 Likes

PriceActionZ: 4:17am On May 05
Baby factory things but God show her mercy. They can do serious investigations and get to her mother if those couples are genuinely scrutinized back here in nigeria. But as it stands, she will be taken care of and her life will be well built.

2 Likes 1 Share

Newton1045: 4:18am On May 05
She's a blessed child.

God's own

4 Likes

AareGaa: 4:28am On May 05
MightySparrow:
She is a Britishgeria.

gringringrin


Destiny has relocated the baby from shit hole country to food - in country.


Whichever way, she cannot be deported to Nigeria.
Good luck to her.



She is one of the baby factory products from that cursed Mkpurumini region.

3 Likes 1 Share

MaziObinnaokija: 4:36am On May 05
sad
mytime24(f): 4:42am On May 05
Nawa
RevenuesBoost(f): 4:44am On May 05
allen113:
Lucy no know wetin God dn do for her. 😂


😄😄
BlocksNG(m): 5:21am On May 05
cctv bi bawo? Alaye read the article joor.
Nahunger:

Lost ke, where all the CCTV footage??

2 Likes

mu2sa2: 5:32am On May 05
Depressing story, but even hypocrites won't say she's from the north or blame a particular religion for her plight.
CJStarz: 5:59am On May 05
RandomFellow:
Lucy was probably kidnapped. Fortunately, the kidnapping was not done by professionals. Either ways, her identity was going to be lost; better be lost in a loving home, than in a place where she might become a slave
Loving home? Who told you the White Foster parents would love and treat her so well?

5 Likes

RandomFellow: 6:08am On May 05
CJStarz:

Loving home? Who told you the White Foster parents would love and treat her so well?

Must the foster parents be white? Plus why do you think it's okay to assume all white foster parents would not love and treat her well?

1 Like

MightyHand(m): 6:10am On May 05
UK should try every possible means to get her original background.
sure! BEST life is guaranteed , but the question of "WHO AM I" will surely surface in nearest future...

1 Like

femi4: 6:25am On May 05
Lucy found a new home...please don't change her name
Completely31(m): 6:30am On May 05
.....
symbianDON(m): 6:32am On May 05
allen113:
Lucy no know wetin God dn do for her. 😂
aswear!!!
cardoctor(m): 6:34am On May 05
Just imagine
damiloladuke: 6:34am On May 05
Lucky Lucy

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