He Cut Our Mattress Into Two, Told Me He Was No Longer Interested In Our
Ayekale/Agugu Grade C Customary Court, Ayekale/Agugu, Ibadan, Oyo State, has dissolved the marriage between a woman, Oluwafunke Olaniran and her husband, Oluwaseyi Olaniran after attempts at reconciling them failed.
Oluwafunke had dragged her husband, Oluwaseyi to court, praying it to put an end to their relationship. The plaintiff, in her suit alleged that her husband suddenly developed a hatred for her, moved out of their home and abandoned her and their two children.
She thus, prayed the court to end their relationship, put their children in her care and mandate him to be responsible for their upkeep and general wellbeing.
Oluwafunke told the court that: “Our marriage had been a blissful one and we were the envy of others until things turned sour between us.
“He suddenly began to act irrationally and behaved as if I didn’t exist. He stopped showing me affection which led to a strain in our relationship.
“He further went to cut our mattress into two and we started sleeping apart. He later told me he was no longer interested in our marriage and walked out of it.
“He abandoned me and our children and didn’t care how we survived.
“Our landlord, on noticing his absence, asked about his whereabouts but I couldn’t give a reasonable response.
“I moved out of our house with our children, but he moved back there immediately we left. I later learnt he moved to his mother’s house after he left home.
“I reported him to his family members but they all took sides with him.”
“I didn’t abandon her, “Oluwaseyi told the court.
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“My wife is rude and always misbehaving. She can’t be controlled and was always rubbing shoulders with me in the home. These often led to misunderstanding between us.
“I reported her to her parents and instead of mediating in our differences, they told me to give her bus fare so that she could move over to their home in Oyo.
“I was stunned at their reaction. I told my mother all that had happened between us and she requested that my wife comes to see her, but she refused, “the defendant said.
The court president, Mrs Adunola Obisesan who had previously adjourned the case for possible reconciliation, once more adjourned it and ordered the couple to come with their parents or relatives as witnesses.
Oluwafunke came to court with her relative, Mr Sunday Oluwole.
According to Sunday, “Oluwaseun impregnated Oluwafunke while still in secondary school which made her to drop out of school and started learning hairdressing.
“Oluwaseyi, being an irresponsible person, contributed nothing towards her graduation ceremony and also failed to attend it.
“He’s ruthless and was always beating his wife. I mediated in their crises up to four times, but he refused to change.
“My lord, his mother didn’t help matters because she was always taking sides with him anytime he and his wife had misunderstanding.
“She harboured him when he left home and abandoned his wife and children.
“The last time I warned him against beating his wife, he sent to me on my phone a nasty message. (He presented this to the court as evidence).
Mr Gbenga Akinsete and Mrs Shade Akinsete, witnesses from Oluwaseyi’s family also spoke.
“My lord, Oluwafunke and Oluwaseun had always been a happy couple before their marriage gradually tore apart. Efforts are on to reconcile them and I plead with this honourable court to please see to it that their marriage is not dissolved, “Gbenga stated.
Shade added that, “Oluwaseyi is of a good character, but he became frustrated as a result of the downturn in his economy. Oluwafunke is also a good wife and we support reconciliation.”
The case was adjourned for a report of reconciliation but this failed because, according to accounts given, the Oluwaseyi family only paid lip service to reconciliation in court. No tangible efforts were made at effecting it.
Having listened to both parties and considering the fact that both parties failed to explore the privilege given to them to reconcile, the court president dissolved their marriage.
The plaintiff was granted custody of their children while the defendant was instructed to pay the sum of N6, 000 as feeding allowance for both children.
He was also mandated to be responsible for their education and health care among other things.