Court separates pastor’s 15-year-old marriage over wife’s public nagging

AN Akure Customary Court yesterday separated the 15-year-old marriage of Pastor Tunde Adekunle with his wife, Agbeke Adekunle over her alleged public nagging after the union had produced four children.

Adekunle, who is the founder of Christ Living Church, Owo, Ondo State, had told the court that some of the scars on his body were caused by the constant fisticuffs between them, adding that affection was no more existing in the marriage.

He also said that the respondent was a “disgrace to his pastoral calling”, noting that she had once torn his clothes in front of his congregation when he was preaching.

Agbeke in her response denied the allegations, but, however, said that she was ready to part with the petitioner.
Mrs Olayinka Falodun, the President of the court, said that evidences presented by both parties showed that there was no more affection and love between them.

Falodun added that the plaintiff, who is a clergy, confessed of his inability to perform his fatherly and marital responsibilities. She ordered the petitioner to be paying a sum of N10,000 to the court registry for the upkeep of the four children, who would be in custody of the respondent, starting from September 30, 2015.

In a similar situation, a trader, Mrs Yemi Adebayo, also yesterday sought for dissolution of her eight-year old marriage with Mr Adesola Adebayo over threats to her life, at the Akure Customary Court.

The petitioner told the court that the respondent was hell-bent on killing her and their two children, showing evidences of battery and serious assault on her by the husband, whom she said hit her on the head with a phone.

She also added that the respondent was engrossed in deep promiscuity which had produced five children without her initial knowledge.
The plaintiff lamented the respondent’s refusal to pay her bride price and the school fees of their two children.
She, therefore, prayed the court to cancel the union, which according to her, had collapsed a long time ago, pleading that the children should be in her custody.

Responding, Adesola, a mechanical engineer, admitted of his extra marital affairs which he said was caused by the petitioner’s stubbornness and the children school fees because of their poor academic performance.

He added that the petitioner had no respect for him but turned him to a punching bag and beat him often.
The President of the court, Mrs Olayinka Falodun, in her ruling, told the two parties to bring two witnesses each in the next court sitting and urged the respondent to allow the petitioner to take her remaining belongings from his house.

Falodun admonished that they should allow peace to reign for the sake of their children’s bright future, while adjourning the case till October 20, 2015.