Oja Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State has dissolved the 15-year-old marriage between a woman, Elizabeth Uwagwe and her husband, Christopher Uwagwe.
Elizabeth had sought for divorce on the accounts of neglect, maltreatment and threat to life by her husband.
She thus pleaded with the court to put an end to their relationship.
The plaintiff further prayed the court if her prayer was answered to grant her custody of their two children.
Elizabeth, giving her evidence said: “I need this court to help restore my dignity. My husband has made a mess of my life; he has succeeded in dehumanising me and making life no more interesting to me.
“He took away my freedom. He restricts my movement and monitors my activities. He decides where I should go and dictates the number of hours I should spend outside our home.
“Any time I exceed the speculated time, he locks me outside not minding the danger I’m exposed to.
“Whenever I tried to make my feelings known to him, he will either ignore me or descend on me with heavy blows.
“His behaviour worsened as he took to locking me indoors for a whole day and no manner of pleading will make him change his mind. This became a regular practice.”
She went on, “My parents on learning about the dehumanising treatment my husband metes out to me sought an audience with him, but he was rude to them. He has no respect for them and treats them with contempt. He further stopped me from paying them visits or have anything to do with them.
“My lord, we once had a heated argument; he got furious and made an attempt to kill me. He poured petrol on me and would have ignited me but for neighbours who came to my rescue. I reported him at Iyaganku Police Station and he was locked up for days.
“He has stopped paying our children’s school fees a long time ago but wastes his money chasing everything in skirt. He’s a regular face at hotels, joints and clubs and always in the company of girls. He will drink himself to stupor and on many occasions stagger home.
“On getting home he will find an excuse for beating me. We will fight, wake neighbours up and turn the whole compound upside down, “the plaintiff stated.
“My lord, my wife is an ingrate. I have wasted a fortune trying to establish a business for her but she made a mess of the opportunity I gave her.
“She acquired a skill in the trade of cosmetics and I set up a business for her but she mismanaged it.
“She has no respect for me and she’s in the habit of cursing me anytime we quarrel. She also fights our neighbours on a regular basis and has turned them enemies of my family members.
“I’m a responsible father and I pay our children’s school fees on a regular basis contrary to what she said, “he told the court.
After listening to the duo, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade observed that there was no more love between them.
He added that it was expedient that the court took a swift action since their relationship was marred by violence.
Ruling, Odunade dissolved their marriage and gave custody of their children to the plaintiff.
The defendant was mandated to pay N8, 000 monthly as their children’s feeding allowance and be responsible for their education and healthcare.