‘My husband got me, baby detained in police cell; I fainted’

Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has put an end to the relationship between Taiwo Omotosho and her husband, Kolawole Omotosho.

Taiwo had sued for divorce on grounds of lack of care, neglect, infidelity and constant beating by her husband.

The plaintiff told the court that she suffered at the hands of her husband and came to the conclusion that she wanted to live the rcost of her life without him.

Taiwo, in her divorce suit, pleaded with the court to grant her prayer and grant her custody of their three children, and make her husband responsible for their welfare.

She also requested the court to order him to hand over to her documents of the house she single-handedly built which was in his custody.

The plaintiff further appealed to the court to restrain the defendant from interfering with her private life.

Kolawole was absent from court despite being served court summons.

Taiwo in her evidence said, “My lord, the only thing my husband knows to do since we got married is to beat me.

“He fights me over trivial issues and beats me till I bleed on regular basis.

“I feel sour and nurse wounds as a result of his brutal behaviour.

“Kolawole refused to be up to his responsibilities in the home. He does not give me feeding allowance and is never interested in how the children and I survive each day. I was initially selling foodstuff and I fed my family from my stock on daily basis.

“My business eventually collapsed after I spent both the proceeds from it and the capital on feeding my husband and our children and clothing them.

“He gave me little or no attention the three times I was pregnant despite my feeble state because I had our three children through caesarian operation. I hardly ate enough neither did he make funds available for both my antenatal and post natal care.

“My lord, we once had an argument over my property and Kolawole almost snuffed life out of me. He collected all the documents in connection with the house I built single-handedly from me.

“My husband, in order to deal with me, leveled a false accusation against me. He got me arrested by the police and I was detained with my baby for two days.

“We were given no food for over 24 hours. My baby cried all day and was later given pap to drink.

“The police personel on night duty beat me throughout the night. They didn’t stop until I fainted. The DPO offered me banana which I ate after I was resuscitated.

“My Lord, I will be living an unfulfilled life staying married to my husband. He has made my life miserable enough. I want to pick up the pieces of my life and move on which was why I came to court.

“I pray this honourable court to end our union and grant me custody of our children because they need my attention and care. But he should be responsible for their welfare, education and health care.

“I also entreat the court to please retrieve the documents pertaining to my house from him.

“I again plead that the court restrain him from fighting me or interfering with my private life.

In her judgment, the court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, observed that the defendant was obviously not interested in saving his marriage, having refused to honour the summons of the court.

According to her, the marriage no doubt has broken down irretrievably.

Akintayo dissolved the marriage and handed over the children to the plaintiff.

The defendant was ordered to pay the sum of N20, 000 per month through the court as the children’s feeding allowance.

She instructed the plaintiff to grant the defendant access to their children and mandated them to both be responsible for their education.

The defendant was restrained from harassing the plaintiff.

Both were advised to maintain peace.

“He gave me little or no attention the three times I was pregnant despite my feeble state because I had our three children through caesarian operation. I hardly ate enough neither did he make funds available for both my antenatal and post natal care.

“Kolawole neglected me despite the fact that I had our three children through caesarian operation and