By Toluwani Olamitoke
Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has given judgment on a divorce suit brought before it by a man, Idowu Olarenwaju, against his wife of 20 years, Adeola Olarenwaju whom he told the court was unfaithful to him. He also said that she was domineering and diabolic in nature.
Idowu further said that Adeola abandoned her duties towards him and turned their children against him.
According to Idowu, Adeola was bent on killing him.
Adeola denied all the claims of her husband when they were read to her.
Idowu in his evidence said, “I impregnated my wife while we were dating and she moved in with me.
“I did not pay her bride price because her parents were never in support of our relationship.
“I discovered that my wife is domineering in nature immediately she moved into my house. She almost succeeded in usurping my position in the house and later turned our children against me.
“My wife teaches our children to abuse me while our first child has stopped greeting me.
“Adeola doesn’t cook for me and hardly greets me.
“She attempted to take over my business, but I fought vehemently against it.
“I built the house we are presently living in with my hard earned money, but my wife kept spreading a false news that we both contributed towards the building which infuriates me.
“Adeola, still bent on killing me and taking over my property went diabolic. She wants to send me out of the house or kill me.
“She once poured water on the bathroom floor and I slipped. I would have been a dead man by now. I locked the bathroom door after this and ordered her and our children to bathe outside.
“My lord, the more I attend to our children’s need, the more my wife accuses me of irresponsibility.
“My wife has been unfaithful to me. I once met her with one of her lovers in our living room and at another time, I caught her discussing with another man in our compound late in the night.
“My lord, I am fed up with my wife’s wayward lifestyle. I pray that you dissolve our marriage.
Adeola, responding, stated that, “My lord, all that my husband said are lies.
“He ordered that I stopped my trade in foodstuff after we got married and forced me to join his business.
“I did, but he ended up frustrating me.
“I served him for five years in his business, but had nothing to show for it.
“My lord, I am the one bearing the brunt of our children’s education. He contributes little or nothing in this regard.
“I was responsible for our first child education from secondary school to the university.
“I paid his WAEC fee and was also responsible for his tuition, feeding and accommodation throughout his university days.
“I was training him in school and also doing all in my power to meet his younger ones’ needs.
“My lord, my husband and I both bought the piece of land we built our house on, but he’s now threatening to throw me out of it.
“My mother lent us money to buy the roofing sheets, while I gave money for the planks.
“We built the shop where he runs his business in my name and rented out a part of it. My husband has never given me a dime from the rent and later collected the shop’s documents from me.
“My lord, I lent my husband N200,000 out of the sum he used in purchasing the land he is presently erecting another building on.
“He fights me anytime I demand for a refund of the money. He told me he would be paying me N500 per day. He did that for a month, meaning he paid N20,000 out of it and stopped.
The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, giving judgment after she has heard both parties stated that there was no marriage to be dissolved since no marriage ceremony held between both of them and no bride price was paid by the plaintiff.
Akintayo granted the defendant custody of their children and ordered the plaintiff to get an accommodation conducive for them and also pay the rent.
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