My husband would have poured acid on me but for neighbours who rescued me —Wife

A  woman, Rukayat Adebisi has brought a divorce suit before Oja Oba/Mapo C ourt C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Rukayat  in her suit, pleaded with the court to dissolve her 17-year-old union with her husband on the grounds that he was a difficult person to live with. The plaintiff also accused the defendant of battery, violence and threat to her life.

She, as a result, appealed to the court to put a stop to their relationship so that she could pick up the pieces of her life.

Rukayat also prayed the court to grant her custody of their two children.

Suraju did not agree to claim when they were read to him.

“My lord, my health is daily deteriorating because my husband never ceases to beat me. He’s a troublesome human being and difficult to please or live with.

“He lacks patience and believes the best way to handle our differences is to fight me. He fights me on a daily basis. He will descend on me with punches, kick me and on many occasions, hit my head on the wall or hard objects. I spend a fortune seeking medical attention after every fight while my health is not improving.

“He has never been interested in our children and their survival.  He doesn’t believe that feeding his family among other things is his responsibility. He will always ask our children to come to me when they make demands of him and will beat me mercilessly if I dare request from him money to run the home.

“He will not only stop at beating me, he will go further to destroy my property and goods in my shop. He still fought me after being served a court summon and would have poured acid on me if I didn’t flee.

• I kept a knife to stab him when next he beat me —Wife

“My lord, if I don’t leave my husband, he will soon kill me. I pray this court to separate us and grant me custody of our children, “the plaintiff said.

Giving his evidence, Suraju started by saying, “My lord, I’m not ready to break up with my wife.”

He went on, ”There has never been any misunderstanding between us and I can’t recall beating her in the 17 years we have been married. Her mother has always worked against our marriage. She’s the one encouraging her to leave me.

“My mother in-law told me my wife had to leave my home for a while and go for spiritual cleansing. I obliged her and she was away with our children for more than two months.

“My mother in-law came back again and demanded that we move out of the house. According to her the house we are staying in is bewitched.

“I refused to yield to her request and she turned her daughter against me. She insisted my wife was not returning to my house and denied me access to our children when I went to check on them.

“She reported me at the police station that I wanted to pour acid on her and my wife when I demanded for the custody of our children and I was arrested.

“I was served a court summon after I was released, “he said.

Ruling after he had listened to both parties, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade stated that more evidence would be needed.

Ruling, he adjourned the case till April 16 and ordered the couple to  appear in court on the adjourned date with their children and parents.