An Upper Shari’a Court sitting in Tudun Wada, Kaduna State, has ordered the husband in a divorce suit, one Abdulmalik Ojoka, to return to his matrimonial home and take care of his wife and two children.
The judge, Malam Iliyasu Umar gave the order after Abdulmalik’s wife, Maimuna Sulaiman, asked the court to dissolve their marriage on the grounds of irresponsibility and failure to pay house rents, school fees, and cater for other family needs.
Umar also counselled the petitioner in the divorce case to exercise more patience and accept her husband when he returned.
The judge further ordered Maimuna to report back to the court on June 3 of any attitudinal changes by her spouse upon his return home.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the complainant earlier told the court that she had been married to her husband for 29 years and that anytime they had financial challenges, he would pack his bags and leave.
“He left me and my children during Ramadan when our house rent was due. I had to borrow money and pay our debt to avoid eviction.
“I paid the school fees for my four children, even though two of them are now married; I want the court to dissolve the marriage since he has packed out,” she said.
Giving evidence before the court, Abdulmalik denied the allegations and stated that he has always been a responsible father.
According to him, he paid their children’s school fees as and when due, but that he later lost his job.
He said that when he lost his job, his wife refused to understand his financial state and insisted that the children should continue to attend private school when he suggested they transfer them to a public school.
The respondent also denied the allegation of not paying the house rent.
According to him, his wife moved out of the house the family was living in claiming that it was not comfortable.
“She moved into another house and paid the rent; anytime I am home it’s quarrel, no peace,” Ojoka told the court.
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