A 39-year-old businessman, Mr Olasunkanmi Yusuf, on Friday told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos that he could no longer marry his wife for abandoning their matrimonial home.
Olasunkanmi, while responding to a divorce suit filed by Beatrice, his wife of five years, said that Beatrice abandoned their home during a dispute.
“My wife left my house to unknown destination, I waited for her to return, but she failed to.
“When I was tired of waiting, I do not have any other option than to marry another wife.
“Although, I still love her, but cannot accommodate nor marry her again because I don’t have the ability and cannot cope with two wives,’’ he said.
The respondent said that when his wife deserted him, he took the only child of their marriage to his mother for proper upkeep.
“When I could not take care of our baby because of my job, I took him to my mother, but my wife later appeared and seeking to take our baby from my mother.”
He begged the court not to grant his wife, who was still squatting with people, the custody of their child.
Beatrice, had approached the court on Oct. 26, 2017, for dissolution of her marriage to her husband over frequent fights and denial of access to her child.
The petitioner said that their marriage had been turbulent and fraught with fights and quarrels.
“I have not been at peace since l got married to my husband. He is so quarrelsome,’’ she said.
The 34-year-old woman accused her husband of always denying her access to her child.
Beatrice begged the court to grant her the custody of the child.
Delivering judgment, the Court President, Mr Akin Akinniyi, said the petitioner was adamant in spite of all mediation from the court and family intervention.
“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court is, therefore, left with no option than to grant her wish and pronounce the union dissolved.
“The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Mrs Beatrice Yusuf and Mr Olasunkanmi Yusuf dissolved today.
“Both of you henceforth cease to be husband and wife. Each of you should go on his or her separate ways unmolested.
“The court wishes both of you well in your future endeavour,’’ he said.
According to Akinniyi, the only child of the marriage should remain under the custody of Olasunkanmi’s mother.
“Any squabble between both of you from now on shall be treated as criminal.
“A severance of N200, 000 only is awarded to the petitioner and must be paid within 30 days from the day of the judgment.
“The payment must be channelled through the court.
“Any violation of this judgment will be regarded as contempt of court and will attract imprisonment without option of fine,’’ Akinniyi ruled.
NAN
