“My lord, I have approached this court to help me put an end to the predicament I’m facing in my home.
“My wife is my cross; I derive nothing from our union order than pain and anguish. I don’t wish to go any further in our relationship, please separate us, “Akinyemi Mutuideen, a contractor, pleaded before Oja Oba/ Mapo Court C Customary Court, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Akinyemi, in a divorce suit, prayed the court to dissolve his nine-year-old marriage to his wife, Morufat, listing disobedience, disrespect, dishonesty and laziness as some of his reasons.
Morufat agreed to the plaintiff’s prayer.
Giving details for his prayer of divorce, the plaintiff explained thus: “My wife is lazy and is not ready to work.
“I tried all I could to make her learn more than two trades but she showed no commitment or interest. She rather preferred to loaf around.
“While other women do all they can to make their homes habitable for their husbands, my wife seeks every opportunity to fight me.
“She contributes nothing to the running of the home and has become a liability.
“She has no respect or regard for me. I have warned her on several occasions never to shout at me whenever we are arguing, but she has turned deaf ears to me.”he said.
He went on: “She’s not only rude to me, she is also rude to my mother who she curses and fights.
“When I realised she was not ready to change, I took another wife to curb her excesses.
“I’ve found all I wish for in a woman in my new wife; I’m therefore no more interested in my marriage to Morufat. “
“If all I would get as reward for slaving to ensure you get a university degree is divorce, let it be. But I know the Lord is the final judge, “the plaintiff said.
She explained thus:“I was selling handsets when I met my husband. He was then struggling to gain admission into the university. Though I am a Muslim, I told him I attend a church where I receive answers to my prayers.
“He went to the church with me, prayed and made a vow to God on the admission issue.
“He eventually gained admission to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ife and redeemed his vow in the church,” Morufat stated.
“After learning how to sell drugs, my parents gave me N100,000 to set up a chemist, but I rented a shop and sold foodstuff which I believed was a more lucrative business.
“As of the time my husband was given admission, he had no job. I was, therefore, responsible for his education.
“I sent him money and foodstuff every two weeks from the proceeds of my business till it folded up. Since I didn’t want him to stop schooling due to lack of fund, I took up menial jobs in canteens and later worked as househelp in private homes.
“Through these jobs, I was able to save some amount which I used to buy a sewing machine. He later sold it and expended the money on text books and handouts, “the plaintiff added.
“I lost my boss where I was working as househelp. After the burial rites, her children gave me two gold chains. When I told my husband about it, he pleaded with me that we should sell them so that he could use the money for his project in school which I agreed to.
“A short while after, he called me on phone and told me that he was in dire need of money. He requested for N5,000. I ran round to raise the money that particular day and made a journey to OAU around 8:00 p.m to give him.
“Due to the love I had for him, I considered his welfare and well-being first before that of our child until he graduated.
“I got the shock of my life when I discovered he had impregnated another lady in school. His family members told me this. He apologised to me and promised he wasn’t going to marry her.
“I later learnt the lady had moved in with him in his apartment which rent I was responsible for.
“When I accused him of betraying me, he descended on me with heavy blows. From then, he never ceased to beat me whenever we had a misunderstanding.
“He once beat me such that my face got swollen and I couldn’t see or talk for days. This is the picture I took then (she presented the picture to the court president), Morufat told the court.
“Instead of mediating in the matter, his mother took sides with him. She rained curses on me anytime she called me on phone likewise the mother of my husband’s new wife, who accused me of trying to make life unbearable for her daughter.
“I got pregnant and was to have my baby through ceaserian section which was to cost N100,000. He told me he didn’t have money. My parents gave us N50, 000 and my pastor, N10,000. I borrowed N30,000 from our landlord. I had to plead with our landlord on phone because my husband doesn’t have a good relationship with him.
“After I put to bed, my husband asked me to pack all my things into a room while he occupied the other.
“I asked him what was wrong, but he refused to give me any reasonable answer.
“One afternoon, his father’s new wife came with other people to pack his belongings out of our apartment. He abandoned me and our children in our rented apartment and moved in with his new wife.
“He never bothered to know how we ate or fared. When our rent was due our landlord called him, he told him to throw us out. I asked him where I should take the children to and he said I should take them to the motherless babies home, Morufat added.”
Giving his judgment after listening to both parties, Chief Ademola Odunade ruled that the marriage be dissolved.
He ordered the plaintiff to make a refund of the N3,000 the defendant used in packing her things out of his house.
The plaintiff was further ordered to give the defendant N10,000 as monthly feeding allowance and be responsible for the children’s education and welfare at all times.