A man, Salmon, has approached Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking that his 14-year-old marriage to his wife be dissolved on the accounts of constant complaints, nagging and violence by the latter.
Salmon stated that Fadilah treated him with contempt and also denied him sex.
He added that she later told him she no longer loved him.
The plaintiff said that the defendant moved out of his house after she went violent and almost killed him.
Salmon further added that Fadilah refused that he had rest of mind after he married another wife.
According to him, Fadilah always came to his house and farm to fight and rain curses on him.
The plaintiff told the court he could no longer tolerate the defendant’s excesses and, therefore, prayed that an end be brought to their matrimony.
Salmon also pleaded for free access to their children whom Fadilah had kept away from him.
He further requested an order restraining his wife from coming to his house or farm to threaten or fight him.
Fadilah pleaded not liable to the charges brought against her but agreed that their union be dissolved.
The defendant stated that the plaintiff failed in his role as breadwinner and consistently neglected their children’s needs most especially in the area of feeding, education, and health care.
She thus entreated the court to rule that he be responsible for their upkeep.
Salmon, in his evidence, said, “I got married to my wife in December 2012 according to Islamic injunction, and I paid N2,000 as her bride price.
“I went into marriage filled with great expectations, but all my hope was dashed because my wife refused to see reason with me or cooperate with me.
“I was teaching when I met my wife, but I abandoned this for farming after we got married because my salary was too poor to sustain my home.
“I invested all that I had into my farm, and my efforts gradually began to yield gains.
“I did all in my ability to take care of my wife, and then our children when we started having them,
but my wife to my chagrin took to complaining and nagging instead of giving me her support.
“Fadilah was never satisfied with the amount I gave her as feeding allowance.
“She always complained it was too small and would nag.
“The more efforts I made that she saw reason with me, the more unreasonable she became.
“Fadilah became defiant and treated me with contempt.
“She constantly denied me sex and refused to have any meaningful discussion with me, which brought about a strain in our relationship.
“Despite working hard to make my family happy, my wife refused that I was happy.
“Fadilah frustrated me and made our relationship turn sour.
“She took to insulting and fighting me.
“She told me during one of our scuffles that she was tired of being married to a poor man and that she no longer loved me.
“She once became violent when fighting me and almost killed me.
“She moved out of my house after this and frustrated every effort made by our families to reconcile us.
“I never for once shirked my responsibility towards our children whom she took along with her.
“I transferred into her account on a monthly basis reasonable amount for their upkeep, but she denied me access to them despite this.
“I got married to another woman when it was obvious that she did not want to return to me, and hell was let loose.
“Fadilah now comes to my house and to the farm to threaten and fight me.
“She is also in the habit of raining curses on me.
“My lord, I came to court in order to curb Fadilah’s excesses and restrain her from threatening to fight me.
“I also plead for an order granting me free access to our children.”
The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, adjourned the case for further hearing.
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