A man, Olohunjuwon Afolabi has dragged his wife, Olubunmi Afolabi, before Ile Tuntun Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State alleging that she is irresponsible, troublesome and promiscuous. He added that she was not committed to their children’s education.
He thus pleaded with the court to dissolve their union and grant her custody of their three children in order to give them adequate care.
He stated thus:
“My wife has been unfaithful to me since we got married. She goes out and comes in any time she likes. She comes home late nearly every day after messing around with other men.
“My wife has consistently been a defiant and has made up her mind never to listen to me or obey my instructions. We have always ended up fighting any time I complained and she shrugged her shoulder at me. She has almost turned all my clothes to rags due to our regular fights.
“Any time I give her our children’s school fees to pay she would spend it on herself. Our second child sat for JSS examination and I gave her N5, 000 when the result was released for registration to SS1. I suspected she was not attending classes and I went to her school to know what was going on. I was informed she had not registered for the new term and was not coming to school.
“She told me her mother collected the money from her and that she went to the shop with her mother every day, “Olorunjuwon told the court.
He went on: ‘She lit a candle in the living room one of the nights which fell from its stand and melted a plastic container beside it. Items around the candle were almost catching fire when I perceived the smell and rushed out of our room and put off the candle.
“My wife rushed in in anger and slapped me twice for putting off the candle. She rough-handled my shirt and fought me. According to her, she was using it for prayers. Our children ran out to call our neigbbours who rushed to our place. My wife again slapped me in their presence twice.
“I reported the incident to her parents who told me to take whatever step I felt appropriate because they were fed up with her misbehavior.
“My lord, I have therefore dragged her to court for divorce, “the plaintiff said.
“Please help me beg him. I have no place to go with my children if he divorces me, “Olubunmi pleaded in court.
“He lied that I’m promiscuous. No man has ever seen my nakedness aside him. He comes home twice in a week due to the nature of his job and the last time we had s3x was in 2014. If I had wanted to have strings of lovers I would, but I’m a disciplined person and I fear God. I, have, therefore, remained faithful to him.
“Again, I return home latest by 8:00 p.m. every day and this is as a result of the permanent hold up along my way home and he’s aware of this. I make provision for what our children would eat during the day before leaving home in the morning while they join me in doing the cooking when I return in the evening since they are teenagers.
“My lord, he was the one who slapped me when the plastic under the candle caught fire. Our daughter was braiding her hair and using the candle when the fire incident occurred, “Olubunmi further stated.
“We both pay our children’s school fees. The N5, 000 he gave our daughter as school fees was not taken from her in school because we were owing more than that. Since she was not allowed to move to the next class, I told her to go with me to go and borrow money to make up the balance we were owing. She didn’t go shop with me as he stated.
“I borrowed only N1, 000 out of our last child’s school fees and returned it the next day. That was five years ago. Since then he has refused to pay his school fees and I willingly took up the challenge of doing the payment.
“He’s in the habit of beating me any time we have a misunderstanding. He locked me out in the rain throughout the night about a month ago for returning home late. This was around 7:00 p.m. It took pleadings from neighbours before he allowed me in the following morning, “the defendant concluded.
While giving his testimony, plaintiff stated that they had traditional wedding, but the defendant insisted they went to the registry.
After he had listened to the duo, the court president, Chief Olasunkanmi Agbaje adjourned the case till November 21 and ordered that they come to court with evidence in line with these and also bring their children and parents along.