“My parents warned me not to marry my husband, but I turned deaf ears to them, now I know better. He has turned me into his punching bag and has almost killed me. The last time he beat me, I fainted and was in coma for more than a week.”
“I did all in my power to satisfy her even in bed, but she humiliated me by sleeping with an old man who is my area father. I caught them in the act so she can’t deny it.”
These were part of the evidence given by a couple, Mrs Saudat Muritala and her husband, Ganiyu Muritala at Ile Tuntun Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Saudat had brought a divorce suit against her husband at the court. In her suit, she accused her husband of neglect, battery and violence. She thus prayed the court to put an end to their union and grant her custody of their four children.
She stated that: “When I introduced my husband to my family members and my parents in particular at the outset of our relationship, they told me without mincing words that I had made a wrong choice and advised me against marrying him.
“I turned deaf ears to them and went headlong to marry him. I got married to him because aside being head over heels in love with him, I was also carrying his baby.
“Few weeks after I was delivered of our baby, he began to show his true nature. Any time we had a misunderstanding or argued, he would descend on me with heavy blows. He derived satisfaction beating me and never spared me for a day.
“I nursed fresh wounds everyday while my body was always aching. I became a regular face at the hospital.
“He not only beat me, he was always destroying my property at home and my goods in the shop. We were always thrown out by our landlords because they couldn’t stand my husband’s quarrelsome nature.”
“He cared less about our children’s welfare and wasn’t bothered if they attended school or not. I did all in my power to ensure that he and our children were well fed and clothed. I have been the one paying our children’s school fees from their first day in school. Rather than appreciate me, all he did was to constantly beat me, “she added.
“I moved out of his house when I realised that he would one day kill me and rented a new apartment, but he later moved in with me.
“The last time we fought, I fainted and was rushed to the hospital by neighbours. I was in coma for more than a week. While still recuperating, he took our children away from home and shared them among his family members. At the resumption of a new term, they all called me to make available their school fees and other necessary needs because according to them they were not ready to shoulder extra responsibilities.
“My lord, I pray the court to grant me custody of these children so as to give them adequate care, “she said.
“I agree to divorce because she’s an adulterer. My lord, if after going out of my way to please and make her comfortable, she could still engage in extra marital affair, then she can go.
“The most humiliating thing is that she’s sleeping with an old man in our neighbourhood who is my area father. I caught both of them in the act so she can’t deny it.
“I reported the issue at the landlords’ association meeting and this man was ordered to leave the community after thorough investigation was carried out.
“Our children have been returned to her, she lied in order that she could win the court’s favour.
After he had listened to both parties, the court president, Chief Olasunkanmi Agbaje, stated that more evidence would be needed.
He, therefore, adjourned the case till January 23, and ordered both to come to court with their children and parents.