Court Dissolves 16-Year-Old Marriage Over Constant Wife Battering
A Grade ‘C’ Customary Court, Bode Igbo, Ibadan, has dissolved the 16-year-old marriage between Taiwo Philip and his wife, Bukola, on the insistence of the wife that she could no longer live as a slave.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Alhaji Lateef Shittu, who stood in for the court president, Chief Muraina Agbomeji, pronounced the judgment.
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The couple had earlier appeared before the court on December 10 with Bukola pleading with her husband and the court to save her marriage.
At the instance of her plea, the court, thereby, adjourned for possible settlement out of court.
However, at the resumption of hearing, Bukola shocked her husband and the court as she appeared with a changed mind, now pleading for dissolution.
Bukola, a mother of six, said she could no longer continue living as a slave in her husband’s house.
According to her, she has witnessed enough of constant beatings and curses.
“Therefore, the court should do anything possible to separate us,’’ she said.
Philip, who had at the first hearing urged the court for a separation, now stood pleading to save his marriage.
He said: “Our first child, who is now at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) called me, pleading that I should not divorce their mother and that we should both try to settle the issue amicably.
“So, because of this, I am no longer divorcing my wife and I also agree to allow her back to my house.’’
However, with the wife’s insistence for dissolution, the court dissolved the marriage, dividing the children among the couple.
The court ruled that the first three children should be with their father and the remaining three should be in the wife’s custody.
Philip was also ordered to pay N17,000 for the wife’s new rented apartment and for the transportation of her loads.
In addition, he is to make N8,000 available every month as feeding allowance for the children with Bukola.
Should any health issue occur among the children, Philip was ordered to take care of it.
Most times I don’t like the separation of the kids but he shouldn’t be hitting her in the first place either.