An Igando Customary Court in Lagos, on Thursday dissolved a 23-year-old marriage, after efforts to reconcile the couple failed.
The case was
brought to the court by the husband, Mr Tunji Oyedele, who accused his wife of
adultery, engaging in fetish activities and attempting to kill him.
The wife,
Romoke, a 40-year-old trader, who denied the allegations, told the court that
the man was sending her away because he now has a new wife.
The
president of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said the court had no option
than to separate the couple as the husband was adamant to all mediation efforts
by the court and his family.
“Since the
petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no
choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the wife still
claims she loves her husband.
“The court
pronounces the marriage between Mr Tunji Oyedele and Mrs Romoke Oyedele
dissolved today, both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.
“Both are
free to go their separate ways without any hindrance and molestation,” Omilola
ruled.
Earlier,
Oyedele had accused his wife of 23 years of engaging in sexual recklessness and
infidelity.
“My wife is
promiscuous, whenever I travel, my wife brings men into our house; on two
occasions, I caught her with her lovers in our bedroom.
“One day, I
came home unannounced and caught her with one of her lovers in our bedroom.
“On another
occasion, I caught her with another man who she claimed was her Pastor.
“She claimed
that the said Pastor wanted to take her to a river for a special bath to avert
spiritual attack,” he said.
The
petitioner further alleged that his wife was fetish and always in possession of
different charms.
“I see
different strange objects in my bathing water, food and everywhere in the
house.
“There was a
day I entered her room in her absence and saw feathers tied with clothes and
other diabolical objects.
“I believe that my
persistent illness, which has deferred medical solution, is as a result of her
fetish acts.
“I have been
forced to leave my own house because I don’t want to die now,” he said.
The 52-year-old
businessman, who presented the pictures of the charms as exhibit, also said
that his wife got pregnant for another man after she had their first baby.
My wife
abandoned our 10-month-old baby for me and got pregnant for another man. She
came back after some years and I accepted her,” he said.
According to
him, his wife has no respect for his family.
“My wife
used to call my mother a witch and always fought with her whenever she visits;
my mother has stopped coming to my house,’’ he said.
He also said
his wife chased away his first wife who did not bear him any child by always
mocking and calling her a barren wife.
Romoke
refuted the allegations, insisting that she was not adulterous.
“The man my
husband first saw in our bedroom was my classmate in primary school; the other
man was my Pastor, who came for spiritual purpose,” she explained.
The
40-year-old trader said she was not fetish and did not know how the charms got
into her room.
The mother
of four denied abandoning their baby to get pregnant for another man, saying it
was her husband that chased her out of his house.
“My husband
chased me out of his house after I had our first baby and that made me to get
pregnant for another man,” she told the court.
She said
that she and her husband had lived in peace until January 2016, when he married
a new wife.
“My husband
and I never fought; but immediately he married another woman, his attitude
changed.
“His new
wife accused me of sending hired killers to her and my husband turned me into a
punching bag,” she said.
Romoke had
pleaded with the court not to grant her husband’s wish, as she was still in
love with him.
-NAN
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