A retired civil servant, Mr Olabamiji Ogundepo, has prayed a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan to dissolve his 11-year-old marriage with his estranged wife, Aminat,
By Olawale Akinremi
A retired civil servant, Mr Olabamiji Ogundepo, has prayed a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan to dissolve his 11-year-old marriage with his estranged wife, Aminat, on grounds of her persistent fighting and intolerable ineptitudes.
Ogundepo noted, with sadness, that his wife’s frequent trouble making with not only him but also, with neighbours in their rented apartment had caused their premature expulsion before they eventually built their own house.
“For instance, my lord, Aminat threatened to beat up our landlord, as a result of which he forcefully ejected us, fearing that my wife might make good her threat.
“This is in addition to her constant fighting with me and other people.
“I just don’t know why Aminat gets angry over little and irrelevant things. In fact, she is too intolerable and she often uses sticks and broken bottles to threaten me.
“Worst still, she comes home late in the night and most of the time, she will refuse to give our little children food.
“As if these were not enough, Aminat brought a pot often used by Osun traditional worshipers into my home and I told her to take it out, but she disobeyed my instruction,” Ogundepo stated.
However, Aminat, who is a hair dresser, stated in her testimony that she became frustrated as a result of constant starvation.
“My lord, Ogundepo usually gives the three children and I just N500 weekly feeding allowance and he expects us to be okay.
“I only got married to him when I lost my first husband.
“Ogundepo could go if he wishes but please, tell him that he must be responsible for our children’s upkeep,” Aminat told the court.
In his judgment, the court’s President, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, held that there was nothing to be dissolved between Ogundepo and Aminat, as there was no valid customary marriage between them in the first instance.
Akintayo said that the duo had testified that there was no payment of bride price and that they were merely living together as husband and wife after wooing each other in 2014.
He cited various sections of the law to support her judgment.
Akintayo said that a customary marriage recognised by the Nigerian law required payment of bride price to the parents or guardians of the bride, presentation of gift items, consent of the parents or guardians and formal giving away of the bride.
She, however, granted the order restraining the respondent from further threatening, harassing, disturbing and interfering with the private life of the petitioner henceforth. (NAN)
