I sold his property, used the proceeds to feed our child —Wife
A man, Kolawole Abdulwahab has told Oja-Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Ibadan, Oyo State he’s no more interested in his marriage to his wife, Titilayo Abdulwahab who he alleged is a habitual liar and who went away with all his property.
Kolawole appealed to the court if his prayer of divorce was answered, to grant him custody of the only child in the marriage who is two and a half years old. He further requested that the court retrieve all his property from her.
“I met my wife while I was working in a bank, but we lost touch after she travelled to Egypt to seek greener pasture. I later got her contact and we started chatting again. I told her my intention of marrying her and sent her two hundred dollars thrice for her upkeep. I paid for her ticket when she finally agreed to marry me and returned to Nigeria.
“My lord, she’s a habitual liar and a dirty human being. I built a twin duplex and asked her to move into one of them when we got married three years ago. It is a well-constructed house with beautiful tiles on the walls of the bathroom, toilet and floor. She left the whole duplex in a dilapidated state and the tiles stained and dirty.
“On returning to Nigeria, she was advised on businesses that were viable, the exportation of charcoal listed among them. She decided to go into the charcoal business seeing that I was doing fine in it and my younger brother put her through. She started the business with the sum of N600, 000 which she paid through my accounts. She was doing fine in it, but her friends later advised her to abandon it and join them in smuggling rice into the country through Cotonou border. I advised her against this but she turned deaf ears to me. She went into the business and her bags of rice were seized by Customs men on her first trip.
“She was fond of keeping late nights and often returned home as late as 12:00 pm. The night guards in our area knew her because she was always the last person they granted access to our street while my co-landlords were always complaining about her.
“The last time she came home late, she was drunk. I waited till the following morning and demanded to know where she went to. She went violent, broke the bottle of 7-Up and threatened to stab me with it.
“During the last Ileya festival, I bought her and her brother a ram each and went on a three-day business trip to Saki after the festival. On returning, I met an empty house. She brought in a trailer and carted away all that I had acquired in the 20 years I was in the bank which ran into millions of naira.
“My lord, I pray the court to separate us and mandate her to return all she took from my house. I also appeal to the court to grant me custody of our only child in order to give him adequate care, “Kolawole stated.
I sold his property to feed our child
Titilayo acceded to divorce but disagreed that her husband should have custody of their child.
“My lord, all he said about me are lies. I don’t drink and never returned home late while I was with him. There was never a time I took money from him or sold rice. I took some of his property and not all as he stated. He didn’t know they were missing because he was no more coming to my duplex or giving me and our child feeding allowance. I sold his generator, settees, dining set and some other items and used their proceeds to feed myself and our child. I seized his house and land documents so that he could refund the money I lent him, but has since returned them to him, although he’s yet to make a refund, “the defendant said.
“He was working in a bank before I travelled to Egypt. He called me two years after I had settled down there that he wanted to marry me and urged me to return to Nigeria. I didn’t give him my word, he, therefore, gave his mother my number who persuaded me to marry her son. I asked about his son’s wife which I once met before travelling out and she answered that she had left him and even went away with his property. I later gave in to his request although my siblings were not in support of our relationship. I told him I already had two children and he said he didn’t mind.
“When I sighted him at the airport he was looking lean and I thought he had HIV. He later explained to me he resigned from his banking job and went into block industry which according to him folded up. He told me he wanted to go into exporting of charcoal which was booming and he advised me to join him in the business. I gave him N600, 000 for the business, “she added.
“He told me on arrival that the woman occupying the second duplex was her aunt and always discouraged me any time I told him I wanted to pay her a visit. I later got to know she was her first wife and that she already has three children for him, the first being in her early 20s. I was already pregnant by this time.
“His first wife and I gradually started having misunderstandings and this extended to the children. Her first daughter once beat me and tore my clothes. . At another time, her second daughter slapped me. I reported them to my husband on both occasions and he took sides with them.
“He later abandoned me and stayed permanently with his first wife in her apartment. My rival once said it to my face that my husband didn’t love me but needed my money, “Titilayo stated.
“My lord, his second wife who had left him reconciled with him when she learnt the charcoal business was doing fine and that he had bought a car and had constructed many containers. He rented an apartment for her. She started sending me threat messages and swore to send me packing because I was occupying her duplex. He later gave her the car we both contributed money to buy.
“I was mad when I learnt about this and challenged him. He beat me mercilessly and pulled off my hair. I fainted but was revived after gallons of water were poured on me.
“He threw my belongings and that of my children who came to spend some few days with me out. He pumped into the bathroom where my 18-year-old daughter was taking her bath and ordered her out naked. She left our home in shame and has refused to pick my calls since then.
“My lord, he has dragged me to Flash FM radio station and the police station and on both occasions, I have been justified, “the defendant told the court.
Listening to the couple, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade observed that their relationship has broken irretrievably.
Ruling, he dissolved their marriage and granted custody of their child to the defendant.