My mother-in-law told me they wanted to give my wife to a rich man —Husband •No, It’s a lie —Wife

A man, Jeremiah Ibrahim, has told a Jikoyi customary court in Abuja that his mother in-law and his wife must produce his son dead or alive.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Ibrahim, who resides in Nyanya, said this when he testified in a divorce petition filed by his wife during the week.

“My mother in-law and my wife must produce my son dead or alive, because when my wife ran out of my house with my son to her parents’ house, my son was alive and healthy.

“My mother-in-law called me on phone to come and collect the bride prize I paid on my wife that they are going to marry her to a rich man.

“When I asked her about my children, she told me not to worry that my children would be okay, only for my wife to bring me before the court now, telling me that my son is dead,” he said.

He told the court that he would have travelled to the village to see his children but with the way his mother-in-law threatened him, he decided otherwise.

The respondent said that he suspected a foul play, therefore, he wanted to see his son dead or alive.

Ibrahim also told the court that for the five years he had lived with his wife that it had been like hell.

“We have been married for five years, and all these years, it has been hell on earth for me. She does not follow instruction, she goes out and comes in whenever she wants.

“She leaves the house even at midnight and when I confronted her, she asked me if I married her as security to be guarding my house.

Ibrahim told the court that his wife was in several relationships with different men.

“My wife has a lot of male friends, she is always hiding them from me. One day her phone rang and she was not around.

“When I looked at the phone, it was a female name that I saw, but when I picked the call, it was a man’s voice that I heard.

“Then I investigated some other female contacts she had on her phone and realised that they were all her male friends,” he said.

He also told the court that a day after their traditional marriage that he caught his wife with a man who confessed that “my wife lied to him that she was not married.

“I wanted to end it all then but because of my Christian upbringing, I decided to forgive her,” he said.

Grace, a businesswoman, who was present in court, denied all the allegations.

She also told the court that her husband had initially said that he was not the father of the boy, and had no right over the boy.

Grace told the court that the boy fell sick and died when they got to the village.

She also said that she called her husband’s uncle and told him about the death of the boy.

President of the court, Labaran Gusau, said that the court had a duty to ascertain the circumstances of the burial of the boy.

Gusau told the petitioner to call the hospital doctor where the boy died and the uncle to her husband who she allegedly called after to come as witness to the case.

He adjourned the case till August 25 for continuation of hearing.