A woman, Tosin Adeniran, had sued for a divorce at the Ile Tuntun Magistrates Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, on the account that her husband was irresponsible, neglected her and their three-year-old baby and smoked Indian hemp. She also sought for the custody of her baby who was in her mother in-law’s care.
“My husband without mincing words is irresponsible and his parents have not helped matters because they are always in his support. Our home is always on fire and I have lost my peace,” Tosin told the court.
“My husband works in Lagos and comes home at weekends. When he’s leaving for Lagos, he will leave just N500 as two weeks feeding allowance for me and our baby.
“When I complained to him, he got angry and beat the hell out of me. I went to report him to my mother in-law since we were living in my husband’s family house. But instead of speaking to her son, she told me that since my parents cook in their house, I should go and eat there. She never ceased to curse my mother whenever we had misunderstanding.
“My husband drinks and also smokes Indian hemp. Whenever he is high, he would start misbehaving, beat me and turn the whole house upside down.
“Due to the hatred my parents-in-law have for me, they told my husband all manner of lies against me, the worst being that I sleep around.
“I was initially working as a nurse, but because my work place was far and in order to reduce my transport fare, I made an arrangement to join a male colleague who has a car to work. But my father-in-law told my husband I was sleeping with him.
“My father-in-law insisted I left my job which I did in order to save my marriage.
“I later took up a teaching job near home, but my in-laws were still not satisfied. They kept on monitoring me and were always informing my husband that I was fond of coming home late.
“And since I got the teaching job, my husband totally stopped caring for the home,” she stated.
“Explaining why she eventually left her matrimonial home, Tosin stated that, ”I met an old classmate on our street who requested to know where I was staying.
“I took him to our place and trouble erupted.
“My father-in-law, upon learning that I had a male visitor with me, rushed into our apartment, slapped me and held my friend by his trousers. Before I knew it, a crowd had gathered. My father-in-law kept shouting that he caught us in bed.
“My friend was taken to a shrine to swear and later to the police station.
“I was allowed to pick only a dress before I was chased out of their house.
“I’ve had enough of my husband’s cruel family and his irresponsible act. All I pray the court is to dissolve our marriage, allow me take my belongings from his house and have the custody of our only child.
“It’s a pity that my son got married to a slot and a liar,” the defendant said before the court.
“None of my children smokes cigarette not to mention Indian hemp.
“Her problem with her husband and the family started when she lied that her aunty lost her mother-in-law in Lagos and was going for her burial.
“She promised to be away for two days but later spent four days. When we didn’t see her and couldn’t reach her on phone, we called her aunty and we were stunned when she told us she didn’t lose anyone and that she had not set her eyes on Tosin. When she eventually showed up at home, we couldn’t make a head or tail of the explanation she made. But I made sure I reported her to her mum.
“At another time, she left her two-year-and eight-month-old baby and left for Lagos. She was there for four solid months not calling home or caring about her child’s welfare or the state of her home. I took up the responsibility of caring for my daughter-in-law. The baby doesn’t know her or is fond of her because she has shed her responsibility of a mother.
“She eventually left home when she brought her boyfriend into her matrimonial home. Her father in-law caught her red-handed. The man had her towel tied round her waist while she had cleared her husband’s clothes and shoes to give the impression she was living alone.
“She eventually left her husband’s house due to this shameful act,” she concluded.
The court president after listening to the plaintiff and defendant granted the plaintiiff’s prayer of a divorce and the custody of her child. He also ordered that a sum of N3,000 be paid monthly by the plaintiff’s husband for their child’s upkeep.
and then