A Customary Court sitting in Ile-Tuntun, Ibadan, on Friday, dissolved the marriage between one Rowland Ogunebo and his estranged wife, Blessing, on grounds of indecent dressing, disrespect and adulterous lifestyle.
The court’s President, Chief Henry Agbaje, granted Rowland’s request for the dissolution of his five-year-old marriage to Blessing, after listening to the pleas of both parties.
Agbaje held that from facts before the court, dissolution of the marriage was the best thing in the interest of peaceful living between the two parties, saying it was not possible for two captains to steer a ship.
While noting that Blessing’s declaration of war on her husband was dangerous, he held that the best solution was to grant the plaintiff’s plea for dissolution of the marriage, in the interest of peace and tranquility.
Agbaje, however, granted custody of the two children produced by the union to the respondent and ordered the plaintiff to pay N10,000 as their monthly feeding allowance.
He also ruled that the plaintiff must take responsibility for the children’s education and other basic needs.
Earlier in his application, the plaintiff, an accountant residing at Kasumu estate, off Akala expressway in Ibadan, sought the dissolution of his marriage to his wife over her alleged wayward lifestyle.
“Whenever Blessing goes out of the house, she dresses indecently, wearing miniskirts, bum shorts and other skimpy clothes that expose her body.
“Anytime I try to correct her, she will rain abuses on me. Oftentimes, she tells me to go and die; that she will bury me.
“Moreover, Blessing is fond of leaving her matrimonial home for three days or more to stay with her concubines.
“Most times, she would tell me that she was going to visit her aunt, claims that the aunt usually denied.
“In addition, Blessing usually derides and belittles me everywhere. Our pastor’s advice to her to be of good behaviour has also fallen on her dead ears.
“In fact, she inflicted a very serious injury on me when I challenged her for buying wrong drugs for our child who fell ill and I had to report her at Orita-Challenge police station.
“If I give Blessing money to buy food in the house, she will spend only one-third of it on food and the rest on her make-ups. Worst still, she has no regard for any of my family members,” Rowland stated.
Although the respondent denied all the allegations, she, however, pleaded with the court to refuse the plaintiff’s application for divorce, saying she still loved him because of her children.
“My lord, when I had issues with my first husband, somebody advised me to seek counsel and prayer from Rowland to overcome the problem. But, instead of assisting me with prayer, he impregnated,” she told the court.
