Woman begs court to dissolve marriage over insecurity

The president of a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, Chief Ademola Odunade, on Friday dissolved a sevenyear-old marriage between a banker, Oluwatoyin Adebayo and her husband, Adebola, over irreconcilable differences.

Odunade held that any marriage that was not properly formed was bound to collapse.

He said that the court would not watch until lives were lost before making a decisive decision on any troublesome marriage.

“The union between Oluwatoyin and Adebola has ceased to be in the interest of peaceful living. Custody of the two children produced by the union is awarded to Oluwatoyin, while Adebola shall take responsibility of their education and other welfare needs, in addition to paying N10,000 as the children’s monthly feeding allowance,” the arbitrator said.

Narrating her ordeal, Oluwatoyin, who lived with her husband at Idiagbon-Soka, Ibadan, feared she was in danger of losing her life to her husband’s battery.

“From the very first day of my stay with Adebola in this union, it has been anguish, weeping and trouble for me in his home. He often put me to ridicule in the night till daybreak, beating me. His problem with me climaxed when he started strangling my neck and threatening me with a knife. Once when he strangled me, I was hospitalised and couldn’t take any solid meal for over two weeks.”

Adebayo, a building contractor, opposed the suit, but, however, denied most of the allegations the petitioner levelled against him. He prayed the court to withhold judgment, with a promise he would make amends.

“Please sir, don’t terminate my union to Oluwatoyin for the sake of our two children. Oluwatoyin started behaving badly when she began to have an affair with a man I know so well,” Adebola said.