A young Nigerian girl, born in a rural village and taken abroad under murky circumstances, has become the centre of an emotional and legal storm in the United Kingdom. Her name—for now—is Lucy. But even that may soon change.
In June 2023, UK Border Force officers at Manchester Airport became suspicious of a Nigerian couple who had just arrived from Lagos. The man, Raphael Ossai, and a woman named Oluwakemi Olasanoye were travelling with a baby girl. But something didn’t feel right. Their behaviour raised red flags, and during a search, officers discovered not one, but two different birth certificates for the child—each listing a different mother.
One certificate named Olasanoye, his travel companion, as the mother. The other listed Ossai’s British wife. The couple were arrested and later pleaded guilty to immigration offences. They were sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to be deported. But that was just the beginning of a much deeper mystery.
According to court records, Lucy was born in Nigeria in September 2022. Her biological mother, a young student facing hardship, gave her up just three days after birth. With the father unknown, the baby was placed in an orphanage. Raphael Ossai, a Nigerian music producer, later took custody of her, claiming he intended to adopt her.
But when the UK authorities investigated further, they discovered that neither Ossai nor Olasanoye had any biological link to the child. Even more troubling, they had no legal right to remove her from Nigeria. DNA tests, forged or conflicting documents, and a lack of proper adoption papers pointed to a serious breach of international child protection laws.
Ossai and his wife, speaking emotionally during court hearings, insisted they acted out of love. They said they had permission from Nigerian authorities for Raphael to foster Lucy and that they only wanted to give her a better life in the UK. But the court saw it differently.
A social worker from CAFCASS, the UK’s family court advisory body, assessed Lucy in October 2023 and gave a worrying report. The child, only a little over a year old at the time, showed signs of emotional neglect. She appeared distant, withdrawn, and often panicked—behaviour the expert said was not normal for a child with a secure bond to caregivers.
The court concluded that Lucy had suffered “significant emotional harm” due to the illegal and unstable way she was transferred out of Nigeria. Her attachment to the adults around her was weak, and her development had been affected.
In April 2025, UK High Court judge Jonathan Cohen made a final decision. While acknowledging the couple’s emotional connection to the child, he said their lies and unlawful conduct could not be ignored. He ruled that Lucy should remain in the UK and be placed for adoption, with a new name to protect her identity and give her a fresh start.
The couple, now deported or awaiting deportation, claimed that placing Lucy with white British foster carers risked stripping her of her Nigerian identity. But the court maintained that the child’s emotional safety and future stability came first.
As of now, Lucy remains in the UK care system, having already lived in three different foster homes. The Nigerian High Commission has offered little support, and the identity of her biological parents remains unconfirmed. Her story highlights the painful realities at the intersection of international adoption, migration policies, and child welfare.
For now, Lucy is a child between two countries—unclaimed, unnamed, and uncertain of her future.
