A woman, Fatima Olayiwola has dragged her husband, Tirimisiyu Olayiwola before Oja Oba Mapo, Court Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking that their 18-year-old marriage be dissolved.
Fatima in her divorce suit alleged that her husband deserted her and their children 10 years after they got married and moved in with another woman.
According to Fatima, her husband’s behaviour showed he was no longer interested in her and their marriage. She thus urged the court to separate them and grant her custody of their children.
“I have been living alone with our children since my husband abandoned me for another woman. If we can survive without him for the eight years he left us, it is obvious we don’t need him in our lives any longer, “the plaintiff told the court.
“I count myself unlucky in terms of the choice I made with regards to a marriage partner. I never enjoyed a moment of peace throughout the time we were together.
”He was never satisfied with what I did and would always complain. Many times he would leave me nursing wounds after he had beaten me mercilessly.
“I was the one feeding the family but he never appreciated it. I worked throughout the hours of the day to ensure there was food on the table for him and our children He fed fat and looked fresh which made him appear attractive to other women.
“I can count on my finger tips the number of times he paid our children’s school fees. I took up the challenge of paying their fees because I couldn’t bear having them sent home from school.
“Any time I tell the children to ask him for money to change their torn school uniforms or to buy text books, he would accuse me of turning the children against him.
“He finally deserted us and moved in with another woman.
“We didn’t set eyes on him for about four years. I went looking for him when I couldn’t bear the burden of taking care of our three children alone.
“He was surprised at seeing me and promised to get in touch with me when I made the purpose of my visit known to him.
“I went back to his place since he failed to fulfill his promise and he beat the hell out of me. His new wife also warned me never to come to her house again.
“I decided from then on that I was going to give the children the best no matter what and God has not failed me.
“My lord, it’s obvious that today our children and I fare well without him, “she said.
Tirimisiyu did not admit to claim.
“My wife is jealous and she’s a liar. She has given me hell since I took another wife.
“I’m a responsible man and have not shelved my responsibility as the head of the home for once.
“We both look after the children’s welfare while the payment of their school fees has been our joint responsibility, “he stated.
Giving his judgment after listening to the two, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade pronounced their marriage dissolved and granted custody of the children to the plaintiff.
The defendant was ordered to pay N8, 000 through the court monthly as their children’s feeding allowance and be fully responsible for their education.