by Azubuike Azikiwe
The 18-year-old marriage of Olive Omoletu and Toyin Omoletu has been dissolved by a Customary Court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos.
The 38-year-old wife, Toyin, who is a ‘nurse’ at a traditional hospital, urged the court to dissolve her marriage, because husband, Olive had denied her sex for nine years.
In her account, she said her husband always complained of fatigue when it came to making love.
She said, “Since we had our last son, my husband has refused to perform his conjugal duties. I would have left him since but he was always seeking my mother’s intervention. Not quite long, I discovered that someone placed a thunderbolt ( magun) on me, but I was helped by a traditionalist.”
“He also consumes too much alcohol and very hostile to me and my children. I beg this court for instant dissolution of this marriage to enable me to move on with my life,” Toyin added.
The 46-year-old husband, who is a welder, in his response, begged the court not to dissolve his marriage, saying he will change. He said:”Please help me beg my wife, I will make amends, I do not want her to leave me.”
However, court President, Mr T.K. Dabor, ruled that the couple should go their separate ways as the marriage had broken down irretrievably, while granting the petitioner custody of the children, pending the outcome of the family court’s ruling.
Dabor ordered the husband should be allowed access to their three children, and should also pay a monthly upkeep allowance of N15, 000.
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