My herbalist-husband threatens to kill me, please separate us —Woman
husbandOja Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has dissolved the 20-year-old union between a woman, Toyin Kehinde and her husband, Wasiu Kehinde.
Toyin had dragged her husband to court seeking that it terminates their marriage on the accounts of neglect, abandonment of responsibility and verbal abuse by the latter.
She further pleaded with the court if her prayer was answered to grant her custody of their four children and make him responsible for their welfare.
“I’ve gone through hell for the past 20 years that I’ve been married to my husband. If I had known he’s an irresponsible man, I wouldn’t have gone into marriage with him, “Toyin told the court.
“I have been paying the house rent for the past 18 years while I have also been shouldering the responsibility of feeding, clothing and sending our four children to school.
“Rather than being ashamed of himself, he goes about boasting that he’s the toast of all women and that I go out of my way to get his attention.
“Anytime I move out of his house and rent a place of my own, he would move in with me and fold his hands as I labour from dawn to dusk trying to make ends meet.
“My lord, despite all I do to cover his shame, he still disrespects my mother. He‘s in the habit of raining curses on both my mother and I while he also uses unprintable words on me.
“He not only fights me at home, he comes to my shop to fight me and destroy my goods.
“He’s a herbalist and goes about with charms. He has different kinds of charms kept in his room and he’s always harassing and threatening to kill me with these charms.
“My lord, I don’t want to die in my prime. If I die our children will suffer because he doesn’t have time for them, “she stated.
Wasiu, before giving his evidence as a herbalist, swore on Ogun deity.
“My lord, I don’t agree to claim because of our children. She can’t take care of the children single handedly.
He went on, “She has come to court because she’s jealous. I wanted more children but she was against it, I, therefore, took a younger wife who is presently carrying my baby.
“It is true I cursed her, but as a herbalist, any curse I pronounce always turns into a blessing for the victim which is why she has been prosperous all these long.
“She also doesn’t like my practice as herbalist and worship of Ogun deity.
“My lord, there was never a time I threatened to kill, if anything happens to her let me die, “he swore.
Ruling after listening to both parties, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade stated that the love between the duo has obviously waned.
Odunade, therefore, dissolved their marriage and awarded custody of their children to the plaintiff.
The defendant was asked to be responsible for the general welfare of their children, education and healthcare in particular and pay the sum of N10, 000 monthly through the court as their feeding allowance.