“My lord, I’m not likely to see the end of the year if I go further in this marriage with my wife. She’s violent and always threatened me with dangerous objects any time we have a misunderstanding. I pray the court to please separate us.”
These were the words of Olamilekan Yusuf before Ile Tuntun Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Olamilekan had dragged his wife, Damilola to court, praying that it dissolves their 10-year-old union on the accounts that she was disobedient, rude and violent. He added that she was adulterous and that he knew quite a number of her lovers.
He thus told the court to terminate their relationship and grant him custody of their two children.
“My lord, my 10-year-old marriage to my wife has been void of the intimacy and fulfillment I desire. My experience from the day one of our marriage has been that of frustration all because of my wife’s irresponsible and indecent acts.
“She took to leaving home as early as 6:00 a.m. and retuning not earlier than 10:00 p.m. from the outset of our marriage. She, therefore, doesn’t prepare me breakfast and this continued when we started having our children.
“Our children lack proper care while the house is always looking untidy and dirty.
“Whenever I complain about her care free attitude towards me and our children, she will flare up and rain abuses on me. On many occasions, this will result into a fight.
“Any time we fight, she will turn violent and rush for a knife or a broken bottle and threaten to stab me with either.
“Our neighbours do come to my rescue on many occasions, but she will end up fighting them.
“She has no friends among our neighbours because she has fought with all of them. Her relationship with my family members is also poor. She has no respect and regard for my mother and elder sister, they therefore keep her at arm’s length, “the plaintiff stated in court.
“My lord, the worst of it all is that she’s promiscuous. She has been unfaithful to me since the past six years. I have the phone numbers of eight of her lovers and know five of them. Two out of her lovers are dead.
“My wife receives calls from her lovers in my presence late in the night. I have come across love text messages sent to her by her lovers which she can’t deny.
“My lord, I’m tired of her indecent lifestyle and I don’t want to die as a result of STDs. I, therefore, pray to be separated from her, the defendant stated.
The defendant acceded to divorce, but disagreed that her husband should have custody of their children.
“I’m also fed up with our marriage because my husband can kill, “Damilola said.
“My lord, my husband is having an affair with my best friend and he rented a house for her. My other friends know this and one of them is in court today as a witness.
“He lied that I’m promiscuous. I’m a decent and responsible woman. He’s in the habit of going through my call logs and will always accuse me of dating other men. He believes I was with other men any time I returned home late. He would shout and rake and would end up beating me.
“We often quarrel because he doesn’t want me to work which is unacceptable to me. I don’t believe in depending on my husband solely for survival. He said I shouldn’t work, but he has not been taking good care of me and our children. I provide most of the things our children need.
“I sell food stuff and I ensure I cook for the family every morning before leaving home.
“I have kept his misconduct away from his family members because I don’t want to create division in his family, “the defendant stated.
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 November 29 and ordered both parties to come to court with their children and parents.