The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, said she almost cried when Osinachi’s children narrated their late mother’s ordeal in the hands of their father to her.

The minister spoke on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria’s breakfast show monitored by The PUNCH.

She said her encounter with the deceased’s children revealed that her husband is married to another woman.

She said the children told her that their late mother had no bank account of her own as all her proceeds were usurped by their father.

The minister said, “Honourable member, the deputy chief whip, happens to come from the late Osinachi’s village and she was out of town (and when she came back), she was in my office to thank me for the visit and she demanded that I should ask one of my aides to take her.

“I asked my CSO (chief security officer) to take her and when they got to the house, with the encouragement I gave the children, they are encouraged to speak out.

“So, more revelations are coming out and (one of) the sons went in and brought out an album; he (Peter) has been married to another woman. You can imagine collecting money from her (Osinachi) and treating this woman as a beast of burden.”

She added, “It is so traumatising, so heartbreaking, the death of Osinachi.

“When I came into the compound, I saw four beautiful children; three boys, one girl. He (Peter) had told the children that they should not speak about the things happening in the house.”

“I came in with all the directors in the ministry. When I asked questions, I saw that the children were not forthcoming. I excused everyone and said I wanted to have a one-on-one with the children.

“I first spoke with Osinachi’s first son. I asked him, ‘Do you love your mother?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Has your mummy taught you to tell lies?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked him if she was still alive, and he said she was dead. ‘Do you know that she is now your angel, and she is now watching you?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘So, it will be very sad if you tell lies’.

“I introduced myself, and I told him the President is concerned, every Nigerian is concerned, we all join them to mourn Osinachi’s death, but what we want from him is the truth.

“Then he opened up… And said that their dad used to beat their mom and their mom was always sad. He would beat her and flog her. He said their father would gather them in the room and beat them, and if the mom came into the room to stop him, he would turn back on her and beat her up. And that has always been the issue.

“They said it was their mom that runs around on her gospel music, comes back with her money. If the money is paid through (a) bank account, it was paid into his account. She has no account of her own, any money she has, he collects and gives her peanuts for feeding, and when she cooks, he starts shouting and beating her. And their mom was living in fear and was always sad.

“It was such a horrible story from a young boy who is just 12. I asked him what class he is and he said Class Five. At the age of 12? I said, ‘Why?’ He said he couldn’t even read. So, mentally, this child is already destroyed.”

Tallen added that “the second son repeated the same horrible situation” and the third son too.

The Punch