I Discovered He Was A Gold Digger After I Sponsored Our Wedding, Bought Him A Car
He told me and my parents he was a graduate and a business man but we saw nothing to show for these. I single-handedly sponsored our wedding while my parents rented us a house and fed us. It took a while before I discovered he was not only a gold digger but that he has two other wives who had bore him children.”
“Her parents dictated the tune in our home. Her mum decided when we had sex while her dad insisted we lived in one of his houses. She was fond of fighting me with knife and broken bottles. Her father was in the habit of removing her belongings from my house any time we fought.”
A woman, Fadeke Salami had approached Oja Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking that it dissolve the eight-year-old wedlock between her and her husband, Abiola Salami.
Fadeke in her divorce suit claimed that Abiola was irresponsible and deceitful. She added that he was a gold digger and regularly siphoned money from her after which he would beat her blue black.
The plaintiff aside her plea for divorce also prayed the court to grant her custody of their only child and make him responsible for her upkeep.
Abiola did not agree to divorce.
Fadeke giving her evidence said:”My lord, when I met Abiola, he told me and my parents he was a graduate, bachelor and business man. To prove that he had a lucrative business, he was always going about with one particular blue suit which he stated was meant for sales. It took a while before we realised he was a liar and a gold digger.
“We chose a date for our wedding after we had courted for a few months but he kept promising to provide all that was expected of him for the occasion.
“He lied that he supplied suits worth N1. 8million to a former governor of Oyo State and that he delayed in paying him the money.
“I had to step in to save the situation when all we got from him two weeks to our wedding were promises. My lord, I sponsored our wedding. I bought and sew the clothes we both wore and also paid for the cake. My parents bore other expenses.
“Two days after the wedding we were faced with hunger because we had nothing to eat. My parents again came to our rescue by supplying us with foodstuff and money, “the plaintiff said.
“A few weeks into our marriage, I discovered Abiola not only have two other wives but three children. His second wife who was always coming to harass me, revealed his secrets to me in order to spite me.
“He didn’t give me a dime for my ante natal care when I was pregnant. It was my father who gave me money for this while my sister bought all the items needed for our baby.
“My lord, Abiola contributed nothing towards our baby’s naming ceremony. My parents provided the clothes we wore and the food we entertained our guests with. The only thing my husband brought was a keg of palm wine which we found embarrassing.
“Abiola took to steal money from me. He would beat me and smash my phone which my father bought me on the ground any time I refused to give him money. He always said her mother was the one providing for the home when he was growing up and that he expected me to do the same. I gave him a large sum of money which my friends put in my care to start a business but he spent it.
“My father also gave him a meaningful amount twice to start a business while I bought him a car, but he spent the money on alcohol. My lord, Abiola was in the habit of drinking himself to stupour.
“My father got him a job thrice, but he turned down the offer saying he could not work under any man.
“Our child was sick and admitted in the hospital. He was informed and he came to check on her at the hospital but disappeared into the thin air after he was handed the medical bill. I was the one who paid the bill,” Fadeke added.
“My lord, we needed to change our accommodation to a more befitting one and my father gave him money to pay for a one-year rent. To our chagrin Abiola paid for only eight months and pocketed the rest. The cat was let out of the bag after our landlady started harassing and threatening to send us packing after eight months of our stay in the new apartment.
“He’s presently married to the fourth wife who has bore him two children.
“My lord, I pray this honourable court to end our marriage and grant me custody of our child.
“I further appeal to the court to make him responsible for her needs, “she stated.
Giving his evidence Abiola who did not accede to divorce told the court that:”My lord, I can swear with the god of iron that all Fadeke said are lies.
“I fell head over heels in love with Fadeke when we met and we both agreed to get married. I went out of my way to please her and her parents during our wedding ceremony; I expended all I had in my account on our wedding but we broke up one year and six months after we got married. Before this time we had separated twice. On both occasions it was her father who came to pack her belongings.
“Fadeke’s parents were in the habit of dictating how we ran our home. Her father insisted that we lived in one of his buildings but I refused because it’s not in our tradition or culture to live in an in-law’s house.
“He later gave me an amount of money to rent an apartment which I initially refused to take. I took the money after my father persuaded me to do so.
“Her mother dictated when we had sex. I got fed up one day and had sex with her by force. She went for a knife after I was through and threatened to kill me. I escaped death by the whisker that night.
“My lord, my fortune began to nose-dive after my mother in-law gave me three sponges and a black soap to bathe in order to avert vehicular accident.
“Fadeke and her parents denied me access to our child after she left me while she instructed our child’s school authority not to grant me access to her.
“She also took to harassing me any time our path crossed. I once went for recreation at a hotel and she came there to fight me with broken bottles. She tore my clothes and left me with only my boxers on. She would have also torn my trousers if the security men hadn’t come to my rescue,” he said.
Giving his judgment after he had heard both parties, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade, observed that their relationship had broken down irretrievable, while it was also filled with violence.
Ruling, he dissolved their union and awarded custody of their only child to the plaintiff. The defendant was asked to pay the sum of N5, 000 monthly as her feeding allowance and be responsible for his education and health care.
Both parties were advised to maintain peace.