Court dissolves 20-year-old marriage over alleged laziness

A housewife has requested a Customary Court, sitting at Mapo in Ibadan, Oyo State to as a matter of urgency dissolve her marriage with her husband, Segun, over constant beating.

The woman, identified as Omolola Aluko, made the request while testifying before the court's President, Chief Ademola Odunade. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, she resides in the Oluwo area of Ibadan.

She said her request had become inevitable because her husband had threatened to kill her through constant beating, The Nations reports.

“Once Segun finishes beating me, he usually strips me naked even in the presence of our children and other onlookers.

“My lord, my explanation may not be enough to tell how terrible Segun is and how he had subjected me to the most degrading dehumanization.

“Moreover, he does nothing to cater for our four children, let alone myself.

“I have been solely responsible for the children’s education and other welfare.

“Segun is also planning to take over my house from me, that is, the house I built with my little earnings,’’ she told the court.

However, the respondent, who did not contest the application for divorce, denied most of the applicant’s allegations.

Rather, Segun told the court that his estranged wife was a lazy woman, said News Agency of Nigeria.

“Omolola is such a wicked and lazy wife because she normally watches me while I cook and wash my clothes myself.

“All she does is to just sit at home nagging.

“The house she mentioned actually belongs to me because I usually give her money during the construction.

“Omolola cannot endure. When there was plenty, she stayed calmly with me, but in times of hardship, I became a bad husband.

“Except for this coronavirus pandemic period, I have been responsible to the children by paying their school fees and other welfare,’’ Segun told the court.

In his judgment, Odunade granted the plaintiff’s request for the dissolution of the marriage because of the lack of love between the duo.

He, however, granted custody of all the children to Omolola and directed Segun to pay N20,000 as their monthly feeding allowance in addition to being responsible for their education and other welfare.