A woman, Opeyemi Osiobe, has approached Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking that it dissolve the union between her and her husband, Jide Osiobe, on the accounts of false accusation, battery and violence.
Opeyemi alleged that Jide accused her of dating her pastor, and arrested her mother and pastor with the police.
The plaintiff also said that the defendant took to beating her after she refused to give heed to his request that she aborted her second pregnancy.
According to Opeyemi, Jide cut her mother with a cutlass during an argument, and also chased her siblings with same.
She added that her mother in-law once beat her mother blue black during a misunderstanding.
The plaintiff further stated that the defendant always came to her shop to threaten and fight her, thus chasing away her customers.
Opeyemi prayed the court, if her prayer was answered, to grant her custody of their children, but make Jide responsible for their upkeep, educational advancement and medical service.
Jide denied all the allegations brought against him and also refused that their marriage be dissolved.
According to him, his family members made several attempts to resolve the differences between him and his wife, but that she remained adamant.
Opeyemi in her testimony said, “My lord, my husband is devilish and will soon wipe off all my family members if the court denies me my request of divorce.
“I moved in with my husband after he impregnated me. No traditional marital rite was held on our behalf and he paid no bride price on me.
“My husband made life difficult for me from the outset of our marriage.
“He regularly shirked his responsibilities towards me and our children and neglected our needs.
“The more I complained, the worse he became and would sometimes beat me.
“Jide once falsely accused me of dating my pastor and made life hellish for me.
“He also indicted my mother of encouraging me in being unfaithful to him.
“I tried as much as I could to make my husband see reason, but he refused to change his mind.
“My husband to my chagrin arrested my mother and pastor with the police.
“Jide at another time insisted that I abort our second pregnancy. According to him, he could not afford the expenses of taking care of two children.
“I refused to give in to his request and he became distant and hostile.
“I was delivered of a healthy baby a few months after this.
“We were sent packing by our landlord because my husband defaulted in the payment of house rent.
“I moved out of our apartment with our baby who was just three months old and the elder child.
“My husband now trails me all over the place and beats me any time our path crosses.
“Jide, still bitter with my mother, went to her house to fight with her. He created a scene when he suddenly became violent and cut her with a cutlass.
“He also chased my siblings away from the scene with the cutlass.
“My husband now comes to my shop to threaten and fight me.
“He has succeeded in chasing away my customers and this automatically took its toll on my business.
“My lord, I have heard enough of my husband’s atrocities. And it is glaring that I had better without him. I, therefore, pray this honourable court to grant me custody of our two children, but make him responsible for their upkeep, giving feeding, education and medical care utmost attention.
“I also pray the court to restrain him from coming to my shop to threaten and fight me.”
The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo adjourned the case till July 27.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then