Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has adjourned till August 8, a divorce suit brought before it by a woman, Toyin Adesumbo against her husband, Sola Adesumbo, whom she alleged was lazy and refused to work.
Toyin told the court that the responsibility of feeding the home and meeting other needs automatically fell on her.
The plaintiff also said that they were thrown out of their apartment by their landlord after owing arrears of rent and were unable to pay.
According to her, she moved to her father’s house after they were thrown out and her husband moved in with her.
Toyin explained that despite all that she did to make life easy for her family, Sola, never stopped beating her.
The plaintiff told the court that she was no longer in love with her husband and therefore prayed that it end their union and grant her custody of their children.
She also pleaded with the court to make her husband responsible for their children’s upkeep, making their feeding, education and health care his priority.
Toyin further requested for a court order, that would restrain the defendant from coming to her dwelling place or work to disturb her.
The defendant did not come to court despite being served court summonses.
Toyin stated in her testimony: “My 11-Year-old marriage to my husband has obviously failed.
“My husband and I had a traditional and we were both joined together in the church, but he reneged on the promise he made to me that would take care of me after we got married.
“He exposed me and our children to hunger and deprived us of a good standard of living.
“The first shock I got after we got married was realising that my husband was jobless.
“It dawned on me that all that he said he was engaged in while we were courting were lies.
“My husband has refused to work despite having three children. He kept turning down every offer he got by giving one excuse or the other.
“I offered that he used my car for commercial purpose, but he would not hear of it.
“I shoulder the responsibility of running and sustaining our home and this is gradually telling on my wellbeing.
“I work round the clock to ensure there’s food on the table, while I also bear the challenge of training our children in school.
“Sola shows no interest in our children’s education and has never contributed a dime towards it.
“We received threats from our landlord who was fed up with us because we owe arrears of rent and were unable to pay.
“We became a source of ridicule in our compound because of the kind of treatment we received from our landlord while some pitied us.
“My husband, to make matter worse, beat me almost every day.
“He would punch and kick me and leave me to cry.
“Both the landlord and our neighbours got weary of mediating in our misunderstandings and abandoned us to ourselves.
“Our landlord woke up one morning and threw out our belongings.
“I moved to my parents’ house with our children, while my husband looked for some other place to stay.
“I later got an accommodation and moved out of my father’s house.
“My husband on getting to know that I had rented an apartment moved in with me.
“We were there for a few years and were later sent packing again because of the arrears of rent which had started accumulating since I was the one feeding my husband and our children.
“I moved back to my father’s house and this time with my husband.
“We were both there till he took his baggage one day and disappeared into the thin air.
“He abandoned me and our children and never gave a clue about his whereabouts.
“My lord, it has been five years since he deserted us, thus leaving me to bear the brunt of feeding and training our children in school.
“My lord, I appeal to this honourable court to dissolve our wedlock so that I can move on with my life.
“I also beg the court to grant me custody of our children and make my husband responsible for their welfare.”
The president of the court, Mrs S.M Akintayo adjourned the case till August 4, for further hearing. When the husband is expected to present his case.
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