He’s irresponsible, can’t afford to pay house rent —Wife •‘My wife paid the rent because I was not buoyant enough’

An Igando customary court in Lagos State has dissolved the five-year-old marriage between Yetunde Bakare and her husband, Sunday, for infidelity.

President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said he was convinced that the couple could no longer live together as husband and wife.

“The court has no choice but to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the husband still claims he loves his wife.

“The court pronounces the marriage between Yetunde Bakare and Sunday Bakare dissolved, both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.

“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances and molestation,” Omilola said.

Yetunde, 29, a trader, had urged the court to dissolve her marriage to Sunday for alleged infidelity.

“My husband is a ‘woman wrapper’, he comes home with his girlfriends and sometimes, they pass the night.

“There was a day I tried to stop one of his lovers from sleeping over, my husband and the lady beat hell out of me,” she said.

Yetunde said that her husband once beat up her father when he came to their house to settle their quarrel.

The mother of three said that she had been the one paying the house rent since the beginning of their marriage as well as the children’s school fees.

“My husband is irresponsible, when the rent of the two-bedroom flat I first rented was about to lapse, my husband disappeared from the house with all his belongings to an unknown destination and I was pregnant then.

“I was in the hospital for six days because I could not pay, I was released after my father came to pay the bill and I stayed with my father for nine months before he rented another flat for me.

“After my father rented the flat, my husband came back to the house,” she said.

Yetunde also told the court that her husband had threatened to kill her, having tied her nose and mouth with clothes once. She said it took the intervention of neigbhours to save her.

“He always beats me whenever he sees me talking with male customers or whenever he reads my chat with a male friend on phone,” she said.

The petitioner pleaded with the court to dissolve the marriage, saying her life was at risk and she would love to live and cater for her children.

Sunday, 40, a self-employed, said that his father-in-law forced him out because he was unable to pay the house rent.

“My wife paid the rent because I was not buoyant enough, but the last rent was paid by my father-in-law who had been threatening me to vacate the house or commit suicide.

“On that fateful day, he came with a thug, beat me and threw my belongings out, arrested me. I passed a night in the cell before my father came to bail me,” he said.

The respondent said that his wife was having extramarital affair that he read her chats on her phone and he discovered she was having an affair.

“My wife has a man friend, when I confronted her with those chats, she could not give me a satisfactory answer,” Sunday said.

He urged the court not to grant his wife’s wish that he was still in love.