…as court dissolves 18-year-old marriage in Ekiti

A Customary Court sitting in AdoEkiti, Ekiti State has dissolved an 18-year-old marriage between Mrs. Adeyinka Kolade and her husband, Sunday Kolade, on the grounds of public disgrace and embarrassment.

Adeyinka, 45, accused her husband of beating her every time and lack of care for the children.

The petitioner told the court that they stopped living together in May 21, 2015, and pleaded with the court to separate them because of what she called the public embarrassment and disgrace the husband caused her every time their path crossed.

She explained that the respondent chased her out of his house in 2015 by packing her things out and that the mother of the respondent and his siblings made life unbearable for her.

“The battle in the house is unbearable. The mother and his siblings colluded to frustrate me. My husband acts on what the mother tells him and beats me.”

Mr. Kolade, the respondent, 44, denied the allegations. He said, “I did not embarrass the petitioner at her workplace. It was the wife of the doctor that chased her away because they fought.”

The president of the court, Mrs. Olayinka Akomolede, noted that it was evident that the marriage had broken down irretrievably, adding that cruelty, ill-treatment and desertion were established.

The court dissolved the marriage and gave the custody of the children to the petitioner for proper care.

“Both parties shall be responsible for the education of their children; the respondent 60 percent and the petitioner 40 percent.

“Any of the aggrieved parties has a right of appeal within 30 days of the judgment,” he said.