A 32-year-old businessman, Sule Soroye, on Friday told a Grade A Customary Court sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State that his aunt was the brain behind his mother’s decision to file a divorce suit against his father.
Sule, the first child of Mr. and Mrs. Soroye, made the allegation in his testimony before M.A. Akintayo, President of the court.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adebanke in November filed a divorce suit against Mutiu Soroye, her husband, on grounds of alleged threat to life resulting from frequent domestic abuse.
Sule said: “My lord, I did my best to talk my mother out of the divorce.
“Both my parents refused.
“My mother’s senior sister, who herself has an unsettled home, is fueling the crisis.
“Whereas that woman is managing her own domestic problem, she is busy telling my mother to leave my dad.”
When the court asked some members of Soroye’s family to speak on the matter, they explained that Soroye was stubborn and refused to apologise to his wife.
In her further testimony, Adebanke said: “My lord, my husband will not stop beating me.
“I have suffered physical, psychological and emotional horrors in the past 32 years I was married to him.
“I don’t want to die before my time.
“Enough is enough.”
In her ruling, Akintayo condemned the couple for not showing good example to their children.
She said: “Sule, I know that you can do this.
“You must help to reconcile your parents.
“The only way you can do this is by not being disrespectful to either of them.
“You can persuade your mother just like your sister who is in need.
“To Soroye, you must take a positive advantage of this opportunity by mending your bad ways to your wife.
“Just plead with her without revisiting bad memories.”
The President adjourned the suit until January 27 for further hearing.
NAN reports that Soroye had earlier admitted to beating his wife.