A Customary Court sitting at Mapo in Ibadan, on Tuesday dissolved a 21 year-old marriage between one Omotayo Ayodele and estranged husband, Isaac for plunging her into indebtedness and incessant battery.
Delivering judgment, the President of the court, Chief Ademola Odunade held that Isaac could not justify the reason why the marriage should not be dissolved by his ‘reckless’ behaviour.
Odunade consequently terminated the union in the interest of peaceful living and awarded custody of the five children produced by the union to the plaintiff.
He ordered the respondent to pay a total of N25, 000 as the children’s monthly feeding allowance in addition to being responsible for their basic needs.
Omotayo, a resident of Sanyo-Odo oba area in Ibadan, had told the court that she was calling it quits with her husband because she had no peace of mind in the matrimony.
“For 21 years, I have been in the bondage of Isaac due to his inhuman treatment to me.
“After he was sacked from his job, I acquired a motorcycle for Isaac on hire purchase, but he ran away and refused to pay, leaving me in a huge debt.
“Aside from raising five children with him, I cannot point at any achievement or progress I have made.
“Besides, Isaac usually beats and inflicts injuries on me, and also refused to cater for the five children.
“In fact, he has resolved to threatening to bath me with acid anywhere he sees me,” Omotayo said.
The respondent rejected the suit and pleaded with the court not to dissolve his union.
The ex-banker however, argued that his wife was good to him, but suddenly became adulterous soon after he lost his job with a popular Nigerian bank.
“I permitted Omotayo to be selling food stuff in a motor park, but she started sleeping with different men there and she got me a bike on hire purchase from one of her concubines.
“Then, that secret lover of hers began to threaten me with thugs and also threatens me on phone.
“It was just once that I had ever beaten Omotayo and the reason was that she deliberately aborted the last pregnancy she had with me,” Isaac stated.
