Court dissolves police officer’s marriage for treating wife ‘like a criminal’

Cleric ‘caught in bed with married woman’ loses marriage

A businesswoman, Iyabo Donald, yesterday petitioned a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, to dissolve her six-year-old marriage to estranged husband, Richard, because he often treated her like a common criminal.

In her statement before Chief Ademola Odunade, the court’s president, Iyabo said she had lived in great fear and panic for six years of marriage.

“My lord, it is usually one day, one trouble with me in Richard’s home because he tortures me like a common criminal if I go out or do anything he is not happy with.

“In fact, he tracks me around the house with his gun and even locks me out at night with our two children. Besides, Richard monitors my movements in town. Worst still, he is such an irresponsible man because he never caters for me and the children,” she said.

Iyabo’s mother corroborated her daughter’s statement, saying that Richard could kill her daughter if the court failed to act now. “I can’t count how many times I have settled quarrels between them and on each occasion, Richard went back home to unleash mayhem on my daughter.”

However, Richard, a mobile police officer, objected to the suit and prayed the court to help keep his marriage because he still needed her.

He admitted guilt but promised to make amends.

In his judgment, Odunade pronounced the marriage dissolved in the interest of peace. He awarded custody of the two children from the union to the petitioner, and directed the respondent to pay N10,000 as their monthly feeding allowance, including being responsible for their education and welfare.

MEANWHILE, an Igando Customary Court in Lagos State on Monday dissolved the 15-year-old marriage of a cleric, Yusuf Adeniyi, over infidelity. Yusuf’s wife, Rebecca, 44, sought the dissolution of the marriage, saying that she caught him cheating on her.

Rebecca claimed that she caught her 47-year-old husband with a married woman on their matrimonial bed.

The court president, Mr Adeniyi Koledoye, granted the request, saying that the petitioner insisted on divorce.

“The court is left with no option than to grant your prayer and hereby pronounces the union dissolved. Both of you henceforth cease to be husband and wife. Each of you should go on his or her separate ways unmolested; the court wishes both of you well in your future endeavours,” he said.

Koledoye ordered Yusuf to be responsible for their children’s feeding, education and general welfare.

Rebecca had also told the court that Yusuf had extramarital affairs with both single and married women.

“I caught him having sexual intercourse with one. I grabbed the woman and tore her clothes. I raised alarm; he started begging me not to expose the woman. My husband’s behaviour toward me changed after the incident. He no longer gave me money nor cared for me,” she submitted.

The 44-year-old mother of four also claimed that her husband was fetish, saying that he married her with charm.