Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has dissolved the 19-year-old wedlock between a couple, Rakiat and ldris, on the accounts of constant fight, lack of care and domestic violence by the latter.
The court ruling granted the plaintiff custody of their children, while the defendant was ordered to be responsible for their feeding, education, and medical care, among other things.
Rakiat had earlier told the court that Idris took to beating her immediately they started living together as husband and wife.
The plaintiff stated that the defendant did not relent in beating her even when she was pregnant.
Rakiat added that Idris was hostile to their children, which made them fear him.
The plaintiff explained that the defendant daily neglected their children’s needs and thus left them to suffer.
Rakiat, apart from divorce, pleaded for their children’s custody, while she entreated the court to make her husband responsible for their upkeep.
Idris denied all the allegations brought against him, but acceded to divorce.
The defendant stated that the plaintiff was defiant and always challenged his authority in the home.
According to Idris, Rakiat was a party freak and regularly abandoned her duties in the home to attend parties without his consent.
The defendant stated the plaintiff always returned home drunk and, on some occasions, slept outside the home.
Rakiat, in her testimony, said, “I moved in with my husband in 2005 after we dated, and he impregnated me.
“We did not carry out the traditional marital rites as was expected of us.
“We only held an introduction ceremony, and he did not pay my bride price.
“I unfortunately lost the said pregnancy but later took in again.
“My husband started beating me after he impregnated me again.
“He always beat to a pulp even when I was pregnant.
“I reported him to his parents who counseled him, but he turned a deaf ear to them.
“His maltreatment of me worsened when we moved to our own house, which was far.
“He would always accuse me of returning home late from work and would descend on me with heavy blows.
“He always refused to listen to my explanation that getting a vehicle home in time was difficult because of the long distance.
“I did faint at two different occasions while he was hitting me.
“At one of the incidents, I demanded a refund of the money he owed me.
“He got furious and beat me blue black.
“My husband obviously did not love me while he also neglected our children.
“Our children found no friend in him because he was harsh to them, and they feared him.
“My lord, it is hard to recall any moment of excitement in my union with my husband.
“I pray to be released from this bondage called marriage.
“I also entreat the court to grant me custody of our children, while he is made responsible for their upkeep giving feeding, education, and health care a priority.”
Idris in his response said: “My wife is a liar. All she said was in an attempt to curry the court’s favour.
“I never beat or maltreat her.
“Her mother demanded that I enrolled her for vocational training early in our marriage, and I did.
“She trained as fashion designer and I bought her sewing machine.
“She failed to make any success of this.
“Not giving up, I gave her N30,000 on two different occasions to sell foodstuff, but she mismanaged these also.
“I later told her to stay back at home and mind our children who were still young.
“She rented a shop later on to display her wares, and then she changed.
“She became rude, rebellious, and regularly challenged my authority in the home.
“She stopped cooking, sweeping and cleaning the house.
“Rakiat is a party freak and attended these without my consent.
“She would return home drunk and on many occasions would sleep outside without any prior notice.
She would later call to inform me she was not returning that day.
“I pleaded with her to change her indecent lifestyle, but she refused.
“My wife is deceitful.
“She would leave home covering her face with hijab, but would remove it when in the public.
“I have caught her doing this many times and did challenge her.
“She fought me the last time I did and later moved out of my house.”
The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, after she had heard both parties, stated that it was obvious that both were no longer interested in their wedlock and had given their consent to the dissolution of their union.
Ruling, Akintayo stated that there was no marriage to be dissolved because no customary marriage was held between both, and the bride price was not paid.
She gave the plaintiff custody of their children and mandated the defendant to be responsible for their upkeep.
