A housewife, Mrs. Peĵu, has filed a suit before Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, against her husband, Ishola, seeking for the dissolution of their marriage after she was said to have become tired of feeding and clothing him for several years.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the embittered woman told the Court that her husband, Ishola, was lazy and refused to work and thus passed the bulk of his responsibility in the home to her.
“I was the one feeding our home, paying the rent and the children’s school fees and yet my husband will add beating to it by physically assaulting me” she said.
An embattled Peju stated that she got fed up with her husband’s lackadaisical attitude and moved back to her parents’ house and her husband moved in with her but later abandoned her and their children and cared less about their welfare.
She prayed the Court to dissolve their marriage and give her the custody of the children so that she will move on with her life.
Mrs. Peju stated in her evidence :“My lord, my husband deceived me into marrying him.
He was pretentious throughout our courtship. He never gave any reason to suspect he was living on those around him”.
“We held both the traditional and church wedding, and he paid my bride price, but this was returned to him. The scales fell from my eyes a few weeks after we got married. My husband never made haste to get out of bed and was always loafing around. He would leave home without making provision for food and would expect to eat on his return.”
“I tried to introduce him to some lucrative businesses, but he showed no interest in them. I complained and we argued over this from time to time, but there was no positive change. The situation got worse as we started having our children. I singlehandedly bore the burden of running the home.”
“I was the one feeding and clothing my husband and our children and also paying the rent. My husband was indifferent to our children’s education and has never contributed a dime towards the payment of their school fees. I got worn out trying to make ends meet, but my husband compounded my trouble by beating me. He beat me at every given opportunity and did not relent even after my parents mediated in our differences.”
“I decided to move out of his house because I was scared he would maim or kill me as a result of his regular beatings. I went back to my parents and was there till I got an accommodation. My husband, on learning that I had rented an apartment, moved in with me. We gradually went back to our old way of living while and our relationship got worse. I decided to move back to my parents’ house when I could no longer afford the rent, and my husband without any feeling of shame also came along with me.”
“We were both there under my father’s roof for a few years, and then he left without holding any discussion with me.
He has not given me a dime since he abandoned me and our children over five years ago. The weight of the burden of looking after our children’s welfare is getting heavier as they are advancing in age.”
“I pray this Honourable Court to end my relationship with my husband because it has brought me no good. I also plead that my husband be made to bear the responsibility of our children’s upkeep, giving feeding, education, and health care priority.”
However, the husband, Ishola, refused to come to Court despite the fact that he was served with Court summons.
The President of the Court, Mrs. S.M Akintayo, adjourned the matter for further hearing.