He keeps threatening my life, embarrassing and harassing me —Wife

A 31-year-old woman, Oluwatoyin Ibikunle, has asked an Agege Customary Court, Lagos State, to dissolve her 14-year-old marriage to her husband, Okiki, citing constant beatings.

Oluwatoyin told the court that  Okiki was irresponsible.

“He has turned me into a punching bag, I am no longer interested in the marriage. He keeps threatening my life, embarrassing and harassing me.

“He is so abusive, always raining curses on me and accusing me of having illicit affairs with different men.

“He made the police to arrest and detain me and l slept in their cell for two days before l was released, ” she said.

The mother of four, described her husband as an irresponsible man, who could not cater for her and the children.

Oluwatoyin pleaded with the court to dissolve the marriage, saying “I am no longer interested in the union; the love I have for him has faded.

“l also want my husband to give me custody of the children for good and proper upbringing.”

Okiki  denied the allegations, and said:“my wife is not submissive and she is wayward; she is not a good wife.

“She enjoys doing what l don’t like and has moved out of the house over two years now.

The respondent said that his wife used to be honest, faithful and straightforward, but suddenly changed after he lost his job and she started keeping bad friends.

He further alleged that the petitioner started keeping late nights and receiving strange calls till very late at night.

“I couldn’t talk much because l was not working and couldn’t provide for the house financially,” he said.

The respondent accused the wife of infidelity having caught her on several occasions with different men at different hotels.

He told the court that his wife had on several occasions lied that she was going for parties and left the house for days.

There was a time she went for a party and did not return, claiming she slept over at her sister’s house, which l later discovered were all lies.

He said that he confronted her on a particular day when he saw her with one of her men friend.

She told me to my face not to disturb her, that the man has been of immense help to her.

The respondent told the court that he made efforts to resolve the issues between them, but has always been fruitless.

He said that he later realised that her family were dancing to her tune because she credits her father’s and family’s account with money she gets from her men friends.

He also said his wife did not care about the welfare of the children; all she was good at was her business and to frolic with men.

The petitioner debunked all that the respondent describing them as fabricated stories.

She told the court that she moved out of the house due to constant beatings, during which she sometimes sustain injuries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that during mediation, the children did not want their parents to live separately as this could lead to psychological trauma.

President of the court, Mr Philip Williams, then admonished the estranged couple and told them that they do not love their children.

The court president charged them to be careful, saying, “If care is not taken, you will ruin the lives of these children and turn them to societal nuisance.”

Due to the insistence of the couple to go their separate ways, the case was adjourned to December 1 for judgement.