From Jimoh Ahmed, Ikare-Akoko
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My Lord, I caught her red-handed with her concubine right in her room.”
A 35-year-old commercial motorcycle operator, Jimoh Lateef stated this while giving evidence in a divorce suit instituted against him by his wife.
Jimoh’s wife, Mrs.Jimoh Taiwo, a 34-year-old trader had approached an Ikare Akoko Customary Court asking for the dissolution of their six years association.
In the suit, Taiwo came to court seeking the dissolution on the grounds of frequent fighting, threat to life, no care for her and the two issues of the association, no payment of dowry and no more love.
Jimoh in his evidence told the court that it was not true that he fights the plaintiff frequently but occasionally.
According to him, they started fighting when he could no longer provide adequately for the family’s feeding, since he sold his motorcycle when his mother died and could not get a job.
On the claim that he deserted the plaintiff for nine months, Jimoh said this is not true.
He disclosed that it was his wife who packed her belongings from their home when his landlord gave him quit notice when he could not pay for the rent he was owing him.
The defendant told the court that when he could not find a place to pack his properties, his landlord forgo the rent and also gave him a room in another place to live in.
He also told the court that his wife refused to pack in with him but chose to live with a relation of hers on the pretence that the place is not hygienic.
He claimed that he used to give her N300.00 as a daily feeding allowance since he no longer have a job
Debunking the claim by Taiwo in her evidence before the court that he(Jimoh) beat her up in conjunction with some street boys and some neighbours, the defendant said he did not bring or ask anyone to beat her, but his neighbours who were tired of her actions told her not to ever come to the vicinity again.
“My Lord she destroys my property anytime she fights me and this angered people on our street who warned her not to come to that area again”
“The worst thing is that I caught her with her concubine right inside her room when I went to her to give her the day’s feeding allowance and when I did not know what to do, I took our last born who is still nine months away, but my neighbours asked me to return him.
“She also brought some miscreants to my house telling me to go and beg her concubine”.
Jimoh however agreed to the prayer of his wife asking for dissolution of the six-year old relationship.
Earlier, the plaintiff had told the court that her husband could not cater for her and the two children of the association who are ages five years and nine months respectively.
She told the court that she was the only one responsible for the upkeep and education of their eldest son.
The court observed that there is no more love between the two and stated that it cannot join together two unwilling horses.
In its judgement read by the President, Reverend E.O. Adelabu with whom was Mrs Akamo Anjimo, the court granted the prayers of the plaintiff by dissolving the association.
The court ordered the defendant to be paying a monthly feeding allowance of N2, 000.00 on each of the two children.
It further gave the two parties the right of civil visits without molestation.
A right of appeal within 30 days of the judgement was however granted any of the aggrieved parties.
