A Grade ‘C’ Customary Court sitting at Mapo Hall in Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of Oyo State has dissolved the marriage between Mr. Olusegun Joshua and his wife, Dasola.
Earlier, Olusegun had instituted a divorce suit against his wife over lack of respect and disobedience.
The plaintiff told the court that he married the defendant seven years ago and the marriage was blessed with a child, who is five year old.
Olusegun, who resides at Ile-Tuntun, Oke-Odo, Ibadan, told the court that his wife was too troublesome.
According to him, “my wife is a trouble maker, she doesn’t obey my instructions. She behaves irrationally. In fact, she always fights with our neighbours and when I advised her, she won’t listen. There was a day I reacted negatively due to her misbehaviour and she went to report me at the police station. I can’t cope with her attitude again.”
He, therefore, asked the court to dissolve the union without hesitation.
While responding, Dasola, who also lives at Ile-Tuntun area, Ibadan, refuted the husband’s claims, saying, “I can’t leave him because he has destroyed my life. There was a pregnancy I had for him, which he forced me to abort after he had denied the pregnancy. He even told me to go and do the abortion, now that he has destroyed me, he wanted to divorce me. I can’t accept it. He is my husband forever.”
According to her, “one day, I went to the hospital for medical check-up and the doctor told me that I’m HIV positive. I was devastated. In fact, it seems I was no more alive that day. The doctor said I should go and call my husband.
“When he came, the doctor told him that I contracted the virus from him and he could not deny.
“My lord, since then, I have been going to the hospital every six months for medical check-up. I can’t leave him because nobody would be ready to marry me again.”
Having listened to both parties, president of the court, Mr. Ezekiel Ogundipe, ordered that the two of them should continue to live together as husband and wife.
“If the court separates you, definitely you will spread the virus. So, for the safety of the general public, you should remain husband and wife,” he said.
He always infects me with STDs —Wife •She once attacked me with machete—Husband
“He demarcated our room, claiming to be tired of me. He also complains bitterly each time I return from work at odd hours.”
These were the words of 31-year-old Funmilayo Alabi as she sought the dissolution of her 14-year-old marriage to Babatunde Alabi.
Funmilayo said:”I was barely 19 years old when we started living as a couple. He was the first man in my life. I did almost everything he wanted because I tried to avoid trouble at all times. My husband derives pleasure in beating me and womanising under my nose.
“I nurse different infections because of my husband’s lifestyle. He plays his role as a father to his children, but I am tired of being his punching bag.”
Babatunde, however, denied the allegation, saying, “A neighbour and friend once told me that our first child had a striking resemblance with her lover. But I told her we were created in twos. I never knew my wife was his lover until I caught them red-handed.
“ Our family members had tried unsuccessfully to resolve our marital problems at different times but to no avail.
