‘I worked as labourer to feed him, our kids, but he accused me of infidelity, beat, stripped me naked’
A woman, Monsurat Olateju has approached Oja Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State seeking for the dissolution of her twenty-three-year-old marriage to her husband, Morufu Olateru.
Monsurat alleged in her suit that her husband was troublesome, irresponsible and violent in nature. She thus prayed the court to put an end to their relationship and make him responsible for their children ’s welfare and education.
Morufu agreed to divorce but debunked all that the plaintiff said.
“I was selling textile materials when I met my husband and my business was doing fine. Immediately I moved into his house I began to see another side of him.
“’I realised he was irresponsible and he gradually shifted his role as breadwinner to me. I complained and we quarreled over this on several occasions but he refused to change.
“I resigned to fate and took up the challenge because I didn’t want our children to suffer and this automatically took its toll on my business. I was consistently feeding him and our four children from the income I made from my business but he remained unappreciative of this great sacrifice and would still beat me.
“We later started feeding on the capital till my business was ruined. This gave me sleepless nights and eventually hampered my health. I thought over the issue and decided to look for a job. I went to seek the assistance of my sister who is based in Lagos. I stayed with her and worked as a labourer carrying sand at a construction site.
“My husband, to my surprise and disappointment, accused me of dating other men. He warned me not to come back home and refused that I pack my belongings out of his house.
“The day I went to check how our children were faring, he beat the hell out of me. Not satisfied, he aimed a knife at me which gave me a deep cut and I bled profusely, “she said.
“I brought our kids to my place when I couldn’t bear the way they were suffering and as usual, I have been feeding and training them in school.
“He refused to contribute his quota towards training our first child who gained admission into a polytechnic. His tuition fee was N70, 000 but he gave him N10, 000 reluctantly out of this after much pressure was put on him, “she added.
“My lord, he accosted me at the bus stop and accused me of dating one of his friends. He tore my dress into shreds and beat me to a pulp.
“I’ve had enough of his atrocities and I have came to court to seek justice. My lord, I pray the court to separate us and make him responsible for the upkeep and education of our children.
“My lord, I told her when she was packing out of my house that I will not come to beg her, “Morufu told the court.
“I agree to divorce but I want the court to know she’s a pathological liar.
“I was the one taking care of our children for about two years after she deserted us. She was fond of coming to the house when I was not around and I told our children to warn her to desist from this.
“She’s of a sly character and she took the children away from me through this means. I called her many times to discuss the issue of our children’s welfare with her but she refused to pick my calls.
“I reported her to her parents who promised to speak to her but nothing has since changed, “the defendant said.
Giving his judgment after he had listened to the duo, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade, dissolved their wedlock and granted custody of their four children to the plaintiff.
The defendant was mandated to be responsible for their children’s welfare, education and health care.
According to Odunade, he is to give their children N15, 000 monthly as feeding allowance and this, he stated, must be paid through the court.