An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court in Ekiti State has dissolved the four-year-old marriage between one Rachael Omotola and her husband, Femi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the marriage was dissolved on the grounds of threat to life, frequent beatings and lack of care for the wife who was the petitioner.
Rachael, had told the court that her husband often beat her whenever there was an argument between them.
She told the court that her husband often held her neck to suffocate her whenever he was angry and drunk.
The petitioner noted that the incessant beatings led to a miscarriage she had a few months ago.
Rachael, who did not bear a child for her husband, appealed to the court to dissolve the union in order for her to have her peace.
But the respondent, who is a carpenter, denied most of the allegations that the petitioner leveled against him.
He said that whenever there was a misunderstanding between them, his wife often slapped him and tear his clothes.
Femi said he often refrained from beating his wife in the belief that women are fragile.
The respondent, however, said he once retaliated after his wife slapped him over a minor issue and he later apologised to her.
Femi said his wife was initially working in a maternity home located within a church in Ado-Ekiti while he was in Ikare, Ondo State, and had pleaded with his wife to relocate to Ikare.
He, however, said she preferred her job and devoted more time to it than taking care of him and planning to bear children.
The respondent added that his wife was no longer faithful to him as she was currently dating another man in the church where she was employed.
Femi appealed to the court to dissolve their marriage and order his wife to refund the N425, 000 paid for the petitioner’s car and other items.
He also appealed to the court to retrieve another N25, 000 that he paid as dowry when he got married to the petitioner in 2012.
The court president, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede, after hearing from both parties, observed that the marriage had broken down irretrievable and consequently dissolved the marriage.
She ruled that both parties should not be addressed as husband and wife henceforth.
The court president ruled that the claims of the respondent that he gave a sum of N425,000 with other items to the petitioner was not tenable as there was no concrete evidence before the court.
She, however, ordered the petitioner to refund the N25,000 paid as dowry to the registrar of the court.
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