Court ends eight-year cohabitation on grounds of threat to life

Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan on Friday ended an eight-year-old cohabitation between one Basirat and one Kassim Yekeen on grounds of threat to life.

The court’s President, Mrs S.M. Akintayo held that there was no marriage to be dissolved between Basirat and Kassim because the union between them was invalid on ground of none payment of bride price.

Akintayo declared that the petitioner and the respondent had been merely cohabitating for the past eight years.

She added that the fact that a man and a woman were living together and having children does not mean that they were married.

Akintayo said that payment of bride price was one of the most important requirements for a marriage to be considered as been valid.

She, however, told the duo to go their separate ways and granted custody of the three children produced by the cohabitation to Basirat.

The President of the court ordered the Kassim to be responsible for the feeding and other welfare of the children.

She also granted the order restraining Kassim from harassing, threatening, disturbing and interfering with the private life of Basirat.

Basirat, a food vendour, had approached the court to end her eight year-old union with Kassim on grounds of irresponsibility and threat to life.

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Basirat said Kassim ignored his responsibilities in the home to the extent that he would not buy cooking gas.

“In fact, it came to a point when we had to share the payment of the children’s school fees; I will pay half and he would pay half.

“In 2018, Kassim developed the habit of turning me into a punch bag at any slightest misunderstanding and so beat me when I was pregnant with a set of twins.

“Just three months after delivery, he did not provide for my feeding and I had to start hawking beans and yam to be able to breast feed my kids.

“In 2021, Kassim chased me with a knife, thus, threatening my life and I had to move out of his home when the problem became unbearable for me.

“He will come to my shop to embarrass me even after leaving his home,” Basirat said.

However, Kassim was not in court when he was called to defend himself.

The bailiff stated that he served hearing notices on the respondent but chose to ignore the court.