These were the words of Temitayo Abodunrin before Oja Mapo Court C Customary, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Temitayo had brought a divorce suit against her husband, Oluwanisola Abodunrin, accusing him of neglect and battery.
She appealed to the court to end their marriage and make him responsible for the upkeep and education of their two children.
“My husband has been indifferent to my welfare and that of our children since we got married. He shirked his responsibility of feeding the home and passed it to me. I clothe the kids and him as well.
“The children’s education has also become my responsibility because he’s just not concerned. I pay the rent, in addition to these.
“He doesn’t feel perturbed as a man that I’m the one doing all these, “Temitayo said.
“What he derives pleasure in is to beat me, disfigure my face and destroy my goods.
“He started doing these immediately we got married in Lagos. He beat me and destroyed the container I was using to sell my goods.
“My step father tried to settle our differences but he was rude to him. He, therefore, got him arrested and locked up by the police but he was later released.
“We moved to Ibadan afterwards with the belief that the new environment would change his attitude towards life. On getting to Ibadan, he acted reasonably for a while but later went back to his old ways,” the plaintiff added.
“He added stealing to his atrocities. He will remove some naira notes out of a bundle and I will not discover this until I want to pay for goods purchased at the market.
“He stole my N42, 000 a week before Ileya festival and disappeared from home for more than a week. He returned home only after he had finished spending the money.
“He loves to have his family members around, but becomes hostile when mine are around. He will nag and complain and sometimes ransack their travelling bags to know if I have bought them things.
“Hell was let loose when my step-brother wanted to learn a particular trade here in Ibadan and decided he would stay with us.
“My husband wasn’t around, I, therefore, informed his elder sister who agreed to take him in should in case my husband refused.
“My brother later moved in with my sister in-law because my husband didn’t want to set his eyes on him. According to him, his father, that is my step-father, once locked him up in the cell.
“My husband has been fighting me consistently since my brother came to Ibadan. He threatened to maim me and deal with my brother. I moved to his elder brother’s house when he wanted to snuff life out of me.
“His brother advised me in the presence of my family members to seek a divorce before my husband kills me.
“I reported him at the police station because he didn’t cease to threaten me. He ran away when they came for his arrest.
“He surfaced again last week Sunday and came to fight me in my shop. He threw my pots of rice and stew meant for sales in the gutter.
“My lord, I want the court to put a stop to his atrocities and make him responsible for our children’s upkeep after dissolving our union,” Temitayo said.
“My wife is an ingrate, “Olorunisola told the court.
“I was giving her between N10, 000 and N15, 000 as feeding allowance when my business was booming. She took up some responsibilities at home only when I started experiencing a downturn in my finance.
“It was then she started feeding the home, paying the house rent and clothing me, but she lied that I stole her money.
“My lord, the sight of her step-brother gets me mad because of what his father did to me.
“I poured her rice and stew away because she dared me,” the defendant concluded.
Ruling after listening to both parties, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade, dissolved their marriage and awarded custody of their two children to the plaintiff.
The defendant was asked to pay N8, 000 monthly through the court as the children’s feeding allowance and be responsible for their education and healthcare.
and then