Court moves to save 9-year-old union

By Seye Fakinlede
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Worried by the rate of divorce cases in  the society, a Grade A Customary Court sitting in Akure has asked  a disputing couple  not to hastily  consider  divorce, but seek for possible settlement  for the  sake of  their young children.

The plaintiff, Oluwayemi Ayodele, 35, who was bent on her marriage had  approached the  court  on the grounds that her estranged husband constantly beat her  and  threatened  to poison the raw food  she sells .

Sobbing, she  said,  “When  my husband  had a job, he was providing for the family. But   when he lost his job in 2015, I began to shoulder the family’s responsibilities and  even tried on several occasions to  secure a job for him. Not for once did I complain.

“But in April 2018, his action changed and for the first time, he  laid his hands on me, accusing me of dating one Ghara man, named Emma.

Oluwayemi also  narrated  instances of how she was beaten by her husband,  claiming  that she had some obvious  marks  on her back if only she could  remove  her  dress in the courtroom.

She also told the court that she had since been daily abused, publicly disgraced while she  slept in  the  passage of their rented apartment for weeks.

She revealed that she had willingly left the house sometimes in May 2019, alongside  her two children  (6), and (4), both boys.

The defendant, Amojo Ayodele, 45, denied his wife’s claims,  alleging   the Ghara man wanted to spoil her marriage, while he claimed he had never beaten her.

He said,” I cannot lie, I always say what I want to say. Permit me to ask her just three questions,” raising three fingers up.

He told the court how she refused to yield to his caution to desist from the Ghara man,  accusing her of  cooking special lunch  for him, adding that her suspicious hospitality was the genesis of their problem, “ There was a time the Ghara man once challenged  me to a duel. He even threatened that he would kill  me  and marry my wife.

“My wife  has also been denying me  sex, while she  sang mockingly at home, that she does not care if I  eat or not.

Amojo further  told the court that the man had also parked out  three weeks after his wife left,  claiming that  his  wife even stood surety for him to obtain a  loan,  while she  was the agent who helped him secured the house next to theirs.

He also denied asking  the plaintiff to sleep at the passage, saying “ she had refused to come to the room , because of the first incident.  I am only trying to separate the powerful control the man had on my wife, and not to divorce her”.

President of the court, Mr Akinleye Akinseye,  reminded the couple  of the effects the divorce might have on their young children, stating that when couple fight, most alleged threats were borne out of anger, emphasizing that the plaintiff had the sole power to withdraw the case and demand for a settlement of dispute.

The court, therefore,  advised the couple  to seek other possible  way  of  reconciliation, while  it  gave the plaintiff  time to reconsider her action before  yielding to her  pleas.

The matter was adjourned to July 3  for  judgement.