My mum in-law lied I was sleeping with my father in-law, threw me out of their home —Woman
Zainab Mayowa stated these before Oja Oba/ Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State.
“My husband, his parents, two other members of his family and I lived together in a shop. Living under such a condition was not conducive and my mother in-law made life more unbearable for me because she’s against my marriage to her son. She lied I slept with my father in-law and vowed my marriage to his son would not work.”
Zainab had appealed to Oja Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, to dissolve her three-year-old marriage to her husband, Adebisi Mayowa.
According to the plaintiff, she had known no peace since she got married to her husband because her mother in-law had always been against their marriage and had vowed to throw her out of their home.
“My husband impregnated me while we were both apprentice at a tailoring outfit. Our parents met and It was decided I had our baby in my parents’ house because my husband and his family were not financially fit to take care of me and the baby. My mother in-law never hid her feeling against our marriage from me.
“My parents bore the brunt of paying my medical fees during pregnancy and after delivery. Neither my husband nor his family members could afford the N1, 000 my registration fee at the hospital not to mention other expenses.
“I later moved in with my husband and her family in the shop they were living in at the request of my mother in-law when she lost her daughter during child birth.
“My lord, I’ve known no peace since then because my mother in-law made life difficult for me. I labour all day washing her clothes, cooking her food, cleaning the house and helping her sell her pepper in the market, but she was never satisfied with all that I did. What I received from her were curses. She not only cursed me, she was also fond of raining cursing on my parents. She always vowed to ensure my marriage to her son never worked.
“Throughout my stay with them, my parents were the ones feeding and clothing our child. They also gave me on regular basis the little amount they could afford to take care of myself, “ Zanaib stated.
“My mother in-law is domineering in nature and is the one controlling the shot in the home. She treated my husband and father in-law like a puppet throughout my stay with her. My husband and his father did nothing in the home without her consent while my husband and I only discussed when she was not around. We shared no intimacy because he was always afraid of his mother.
“She accused me of sleeping with my father in-law and packed her belongings out of the home for some weeks so as to paint me black.
“She later returned and forcefully took my baby from me and threw me out of their home. She has since denied me access to my child and stopped my husband from communicating with me.
“My lord, please separate me from my husband so that I can pick up the pieces of my life, “she told the court.
Adebisi did not accede to divorce.
“I still love her and I’m ready to take care of her and our child. It’s true she and my mother were always at logger-head and this caused a strain in our relationship.
“I’ve taken permission from my boss to go and source for a living in order that I may take adequate care of her and our child, “he stated.
Giving his judgment, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade dissolved their marriage and granted custody of their child to the plaintiff.
The defendant was mandated to pay N3, 000 monthly through the court as their child’s feeding allowance and be responsible for her health care and education in the future.
The defendant burst into tears at the judgment pleading he couldn’t afford the stated amount.