A man, Oluwaniyi Olajire has prayed Grade A Customary Court Mapo, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, to dissolve his 12-year-old marriage to his wife, Omolabake Olajire.
Oluwaniyi alleged that his wife was defiant and non submissive.
The plaintiff added that the defendant was in the habit of dressing indecently and that she refused to change despite showing his displeasure at it.
He further stated that she kept bad company and visited hotels with her friends where she always drank and got drunk.
Oluwaniyi also said that the Omolabake was promiscuous, adding that he caught her with her lovers on three different occasions.
The plaintiff pleaded with the court if his prayer was heard, to grant him custody of their three children and restrain his wife from threatening him.
Omolabake gave her consent to divorce, but disagreed that her husband had custody of their children.
Oluwaniyi in his testimony said: “My lord, my wife and I started dating in 2003 and I sponsored her training as a chemist.
“She graduated as a chemist on the same day we got married in 2010. She was already pregnant by then.
“Omolabake changed after we got married. She became uncontrollable and treated me with disregard.
“Omolabake refused to listen to my advice and readily flouts my orders. The more I complained, the worse she became.
“My wife suddenly took to dressing indecently. She went about in skimpy dresses and sometimes dressed in trousers and trainers.
“I warned her against her shameful manner of dressing, but she waved all I said aside.
“My lord, my wife did the worst when she started dating other men. Omolabake had the guts of bringing one of them to our home.
“I once came home without prior notice, and there she was in the sitting room with the man whom she lied was her relative.
“Omolabake fought me when I rebuked her for bringing her lover home.
“Her attitude brought a strain in our relationship, but my friend mediated in our differences and peace was restored.
“I again caught her with another man in her shop. I learnt he was a regular face in her shop and that she kept two machines she bought with him.
“My wife has no shame. She fought with a woman over a lover and made herself a source of ridicule in our area.
“Omolabake, unrepentant took to entertaining yet another man in her shop. She would cook for him and they would both eat. I was told she had been doing this for long.
“About three months ago, I caught her eating with this man in her shop. I went mad and fought with him.
“To my chagrin, Omolabake’s mother came to our home the following day to arrest me with the police for fighting with her daughter’s lover. She came in company with my wife’s friend.
“I was put in police custody, but was later released after I paid the bail fees.
“I sent my wife’s two siblings living with us packing after I got home.
“My lord, by the time I returned from work the following day, my wife had pulled down the door to our apartment and went away with her belongings and some of mine. She also took our children along with her.
“She took my gas cooker, cabinet and shoe hanger among other things and I pray the court to help retrieve these from her.
“Omolabake failed to be a good example to our children. She was fond of attending night parties and would return in the morning.
“My wife also kept bad companies. She visited hotels with her friend, drank and got drunk almost all the time. (He presented the court a picture as exhibit).
“I did all in my power to ensure that my wife and children were comfortable but she was never contented.
“I paid our children’s school fees aa and when due while I gave her money on regular basis to boost her business. I gave her N100,000 shortly before she moved out of my house (He presented the receipt of the transfer as exhibit).
“She told me she wanted to start selling beer and I forbade that she did, but she went into the business.
“Men therefore cluster in her shop every night drinking and getting drunk.
“I went to our children’s school at resumption this term to pay their fees but was told they didn’t resume with others.
“Omolabake in a bid to nail me lied that I sent hired killers after her, who she stated, manhandled and collected money from her,” the plaintiff stated.
Omolabake in her evidence told the court, “My lord, my husband has constantly failed to carry out his responsibilities towards me and our children since we got married.
“He refused to give me money to buy the needs for our first child when I was pregnant. I bought all the necessary things with my money after I put to bed.
“Oluwaniyi took to beating me early in our marriage. We once had visitors and I called him to buy bread when returning home to serve our guests.
“He took long in coming that night and I was forced to go out to do the purchase so that our guests would not starve.
“He was home before I returned and before I could say anything, he slapped me right in the presence of our visitors.
“He accused me immorality and going out to meet a lover.
“My lord, he lied that he gave me money for my business. He used to lend me money and I would later refund it.
“Since my shop is located in a male-dominated environment, I decided to sell noodles and egg, but I later stopped because he was always complaining of men clustering in my shop. He further accused me of sleeping with them.
“My lord, Oluwaniyi was not sincere in his statement with regards to my trade in beer. I got money from a cooperative society to buy a deep freezer and gave him money to buy me cartons of beer which he did.
“I advised my husband to stop coming to my shop because he was always fighting with my customers,” the defendant said.
She added that, “Oluwaniyi and I both contribute towards our children’s education. He pays their fees while I buy books and other things.
“He bought clothes for them only once in a year.
“My husband made it his responsibility to buy either meat or fish and pepper for soup every Saturday while I provided foodstuff. He would refuse to provide extra ingredients in case the soup finished before the week ran out.
“He gave me only N800 per day for the feeding of five of us. He took breakfast and supper out of this meager amount and refused to give attention to my complaint that the money was small.
“My lord, our children weren’t in school because they are sick and at home receiving treatment.
“I didn’t notify him because he was always raining curses on me any time I call him,” Omolabake concluded.
The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, after listening to both parties, ordered the defendant to bring the children to court on a specified date and adjourned the case till March 3.
