A tricycle operator, Mr. Olasunkanmi Abdul-Kareem, 42, on Tuesday in Igando, Lagos State, lost his 17-year marriage to his wife Bolanle.
Bolanle accused her husband of severe maltreatment, adding that he was fond of forcefully making love to her in the presence of their children.
Delivering judgment, the President of Igando Customary Court, Lagos, Mr. Moses Akinniyi, said the marriage between Mrs. Bolanle AbdulKareem and Mr. Olasunkanmi Abdul-Kareem had been dissolved.
Akinniyi said the petitioner had remained adamant despite mediation from the court and family intervention.
He said: “Both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife. Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances and molestation.
“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the husband still claims he loves his wife.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Bolanle had earlier told the court that her husband, Olasunkanmi, was always in the habit of molesting her whenever he got drunk.
“Whenever my husband came home drunk, he would want to make love to me ‘by fire by force’ and I would caution him not to do it in the presence of our children.
“He beat me and made love to me by force while the children watched us.
“There was a day I came back from work and I met my children, one on top of another, doing what they always saw their father do to me,’’ the 40-year-old trader said.
The petitioner also said her husband always threatened to kill her.
“My husband derived pleasure in beating me. There was a day he beat me and broke my leg. One day, he threatened to kill me and I ran to one of my relatives’ house.
“My husband came there and met my sister’s husband ironing his clothes; he snatched the iron from him and started chasing me with it.
“Seeing his desperation, I ran into the street and my husband still chased me with the pressing iron.
“Each time I reported him at the police station, the police said it was family matter and refused to caution him,’’ she said.
The embittered wife described her husband as “irresponsible” and a father who did “not care” about the welfare and education of their children.
“Olasunkanmi neither cared for me nor for the children. I am the one paying their school fees.
“He has a tricycle that he was using for business, but he always used the proceeds to drink to a stupor and usually lost self control,’’ the estranged wife said.
The mother of three begged the court to dissolve their marriage, adding that she was no longer in love with the husband.
However, Olasunkanmi, who did not deny the allegation of making love to his wife in the presence of their children, however, begged the court not to dissolve the union.
“Please, do not dissolve our marriage, I still love my wife, I know I have made a mistake; I will make amend,’’ he said.
The 42-year-old commercial tricycle operator admitted that he used to beat his wife whenever she flouted his orders.
“I don’t derive pleasure in beating her, but I only beat her whenever she disobeyed my instruction.
“The day I snatched the pressing iron from my in-law, I only wanted to use the iron wire to beat her and not to burn her.”
He said he was not a drunk but that he drank moderately.
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