‘I fed and clothed him but he rewarded me with tearing my clothes, punching me’

A woman, Oluwaseun Okunlola has dragged her husband, Kareem Okunlola to court, praying that their nine-year-old marriage be dissolved.

Oluwaseun accused her husband of neglect, adding that he was a brute.

The plaintiff prayed the court to abort their relationship so that she could pick up the pieces of her life.

Kareem refused to turn up in court despite being served a court hearing twice.

The plaintiff stated thus: “I started receiving severe beatings from my husband from the first day of our marriage and this continued till I decided to move out of his house so that he would not take my life from me.  Twice I was pregnant and on both occasions, he never pitied my condition, but still beat me blue-black and I nearly lost both pregnancies.

“My lord, he’s an ingrate. He was out of job for long and I automatically became the breadwinner in the home. I fed and clothed him. I also paid the house rent without complaining, but rather than being appreciative of these, he beat me the more.

“I left him and moved to my parents place when I was pregnant with our second child because he had turned me into a regular face at the hospital as a result of the punches he constantly dealt me.

• She has usurped my position in the home, she, her children beat me, locked me out —Husband

“Our differences were resolved by our parents and I was asked to move back to his house but he refused that I did.  He threatened to harm me if I did. The day I moved my things there, he beat the hell out of me, pulled out my hair and tore my blouse.  It was one of his neighbours who gave me her cardigan to wear.

“My lord,  I pray the court to separate us and grant me custody of our children. I also appeal to the court to restrain him from harassing me at my work place, “she concluded.

Ruling after he had listened to the plaintiff, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade, stated that it was expedient that the court dissolved  their marriage because of the display of violence.

He added that the failure of the defendant to come to court after being served a court summon and hearing showed he was no more interested in their union.

Ruling, Odunade dissolved their union and gave the plaintiff custody of their two children.

The defendant was ordered to pay N10, 000 as their children’s feeding allowance and be responsible for their education and welfare.