Court dissolves marriage over frequent quarrels, lack of love

A customary court sitting in Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday dissolved the marriage between Mr Quadri Gbadebo and his wife, Aminat, for reasons of frequent quarrels and lack of love.

Aminat had sought the dissolution over allegations of "lack of peace, frequent beating, adultery and irresponsibility" she levelled against her husband.

The petitioner, a resident of No. 9, Araromi Street, Ijeun Titun, Abeokuta, told the court that she had actually separated from Gbadebo for more than a year but wanted the marriage dissolved formally, saying she was fed up with it.

She prayed the court to grant her custody of the three-year-old boy the marriage produced “for proper upkeep and care.”

Gbadebo did not oppose the dissolution of the marriage, but rejected granting custody of the child to Aminat as she had remarried and was pregnant for another man.

The president of the court, Mrs A. O. Abimbola, dissolving the marriage “in the interest of peace”, rejected the respondent’s prayer on custody of the child and rather directed that the boy should be in the care of Aminat, while Gbadebo should be paying N5,000 monthly for his upkeep.

But the respondent created a mild drama in court when he objected the ruling granting the wife custody of the child, saying, "I have my mother who will take good care of him. I don't agree that the boy should be in her custody."

Mrs Abimbola, however, immediately replied him, "That is the position of the court. You can only apply for a copy of the judgment and appeal against it if you want to."