Paternity Fraud: I Nearly Pulled My Gun – Ex-Ghana Star

Nii Odartey Lamptey, a former Ghana football player, has recounted how he felt after realising he was a victim of paternity fraud and that the three children he raised with his ex-wife, Gloria Appiah, were not his biological children.

In a recent interview, Lamptey stated that the revelation drove him to the point of despair, and that he considered using his revolver.

Lamptey spoke with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV on YouTube in an approximately 10-minute video about his ordeal.

The 49-year-old former Anderlecht and Aston Villa forward said: “Yeah, I took that decision [to pull a gun], but God spoke to me and since then I haven’t touched my gun. The gun was in my Tundra, but I decided I would not do anything.

“I was broken, but I was very patient about it, and that has led me to where I am today. I believe it was God who spoke to me, and so I decided not to use my gun. It used to be in my Tundra, but I decided not to touch the gun again.

“I had to control my anger, otherwise I could’ve been in prison by now. And I wouldn’t have been able to have my three children. So, sometimes when you get angry, you have to think twice before taking action.”

Lamptey’s divorce from his ex-wife, Gloria Appiah, was precipitated by DNA testing confirming that he was not their father in 2013.

The matter ended their 20-year marriage, but arguments between the pair over Miss Appiah’s compensation sparked a lengthy legal battle.

In 2017, Lamptey won a lawsuit in which his wife claimed 50% of his money.

Then, an Accra High Court decided that Gloria Appiah (Lamptey’s ex-wife) committed adultery by giving birth to three children out of wedlock, therefore nullifying her plea for half of her ex-husband’s riches.

Justice Cecilia Don-Chebe Agbevey, who presided over the case, also ordered Lamptey’s estranged wife to vacate the footballer’s luxurious seven-bedroom flat in East Legon within 30 days.

However, it ordered Lamptey to settle her with his four-bedroom Dome mansion, a car, and Ghc200,000.

Meanwhile, Odartey Lamptey is married to actress Ruweida Yakubu, and the couple has three children.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli