I still love her – Husband
By Bamidele Kolawole
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In a strange twist, a 30-year-old businesswoman, Babalola Odunayo, who sent her husband out of their matrimonial home had approached Grade A Customary Court sitting in Oke-Eda seeking for the dissolution of her twelve-year-old marriage with her husband.
Her husband who appeared before the court gave this hint while reacting to the petition brought against him by his wife as he described her as a fairweather partner who only loved him when he had money to spend on her.
The wife had dragged him to court saying she was through with the marriage and seeking for divorce on assault, threat to life, abuse, lack of care for her and the children and neglect, urging the court to dissolve the marriage, claiming there was no love between them again.
“My Lord, I want the custody of the two younger children because my husband is not responsible. He cannot take care of those children because he doesn’t have money. If they live with him their lives would not be pleasant, and they will suffer.
The petitioner claimed that her husband is not trustworthy and that he did not care for her and her children.
She alleged the husband of beating her anytime they had altercations with further claims of blatant disregard for her family as he would abuse them when he beats her.
Odunayo told the court that her husband was also stingy and crafty as he was fond of hiding his money from her, saying she would not notice when her husband had money because he always complain of not having money.
She also accused him of domestic violence. Her words: “There was a time when we were still living together that my husband chased me out of the house with cutlass and threw all my belongings out of the house. If I had not run for my life, I would have been dead by now. My life is not safe with him.”
The petitioner, therefore, urged the court to admit her claims and grant her prayer for divorce because she was tired of the marriage.
The respondent, Mr Babalola Feyijimi, denied most of the allegations leveled against him by his wife.
Babalola told the court that his wife feelings for him changed and she eventually left him when he became poor, adding that when things were better for him, he took care of his wife and children.
“I don’t want to divorce my wife because my children will suffer, I love her with all my heart.
“My wife and her parents planned my downfall. They did not want my progress. They told me to leave them alone.
“My father in-law came to our house to abuse me because my wife lied to him about me. He did not even ask me what was the matter before he started abusing me. He did not allow us to enjoy our marriage.
“When I wanted to pay our house rent, my father in-law lent me N70,000 for our house rent. Later, I invited my brother in-law who was stranded and had nowhere to live to come and live with us. He was happy then and he squatted with us.”
He added that his gesture marked the beginning of the end for his marriage as they all conspired against him and treated him like an outcast.
“ To my surprise, I saw a text message from my brother in-law that my movement in the house was irritating him. I told my wife about it and she replied me that since their father paid for the apartment, he had more say than I did. That was how he and my wife both chased me out of the house.
“I didn’t have anywhere to go to. I started living at a prayer mountain. I lived there until God opened doors of opportunity for me. From there, I traveled overseas.
He narrated that the time he spent overseas, he sent money to his wife because he still loves her, and lamented that she did not see me as her husband.
He told the court that he had struggled so hard to make ends meet and had tried so many things and regretted that all his efforts were aborted which was the reason why his my wife treating him shabbily.
He claimed that his wife too had been abusive and violent towards him, saying that she would rain abuses and curses on him whenever they quarrelled and had once slapped him on the face.
He accused his wife’s family of contributing largely to the breakdown of his marriage, saying that “they did not see me as her husband. Her father was fond of talking rashly to me and about my parents”
He admitted that he did beat his wife but he did that because he was provoked. He explained that the cutlass he brandished when they were fighting was only to scare her and that he meant her no harm.
He added that his wife had always been bitter despite his overtures towards her so that they could settle their differences so much that when his mother died when he was away, his wife refused to take the children to the burial programme of his mother.
He narrated that when he came back from oversea, he went to his wife so that they could settle their differences despite all what she did to him and his family.
He accused her of being stingy towards him. “There was a time I begged her to give me N200 recharge card but she refused to give me and she sells cards.”
He begged the court not to grant his wife’s request, saying he love his children and he cannot leave them.
The president of the court, Mr Anthony Boboye urged both parties to maintain peace and adjourned the case till February 11,2021 for report of settlement or hearing of the matter.
