Hotelier seeks end to 16-yr childless marriage

A hotelier, Oluwafemi Ajadi, yesterday urged the Agege customary court to end his 16 years marriage to his wife, Chinwe, on grounds of infidelity, lack of love and threat to life.

The petitioner, an indigene of Ibadan in Oyo State, told the court that he was no longer interested in the marriage and pleaded the court to dissolve it.

Ajadi, who lives at No. 26, Bamgboye Street, Mushin, Lagos, described his wife as arrogant and a trouble maker.

“My wife is a party freak, I warned her to desist from moving with bad friends but she did not heed my warning. She likes frolicking with different men.

“She is not caring and lacks respect for the institution of marriage. Please separate us, I can no longer live with her,” he said.

Chinwe, 35, however, denied the allegations and, amid tears, urged the court to save her marriage.

But the respondent, a trader and an indigene of Imo State, described the husband as a drunk and wife beater.

She alleged that the petitioner beats her at will and abuses her emotionally because she could not conceive.

“My husband usually drinks to stupor and misbehaves with me, which usually leads to serious misunderstanding between us. l had aborted many times for him before we legalised the marriage and wasted the better part of my life.

“In spite of my husband’s attitude towards me, l still love him and do not want the marriage dissolved,” she said.

The petitioner, however, vehemently refused to accept the court’s pleadings to give the wife another chance and urged the court to dissolve the union.

“I wasted several millions of naira on the respondent through invitro fertilization (IVF) but lost the pregnancy due to her stubbornness and nonchalant attitude,” he said.

The court president, Mrs Ibironke Elabor, urged the estranged couple to keep peace, and adjourned the case until December 14, 2017 for judgment.