Ekiti court dissolves 5-year-old marriage

Marriage put asunder

An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court on Tuesday dissolved the five-year-old marriage between Okunola Adebola and her husband, Oluwasayo.

The marriage was dissolved on grounds of desertion and lack of care for her and the only child.

Adebola, residing at No 22, Ado Community Junction, Ado-Ekiti, told the court that they were both paying the child’s school fees, but he suddenly stopped.

She told the court that she had sought for the husband’s assistance on the school fees on several occasions, but he refused.

The mother of one said that she had been responsible for the welfare of the child in the last three years.
She told the court that her husband was fond of referring to her as a lazy and jobless wife.

According to her, sometimes he will drop N20, 000 for the child school fees, while she is responsible for feeding and payment for the house rent.

She claimed that they had disagreement on sale of clothes that he sent from abroad as he claimed that she did not remit the proceeds to him.

Adebola said ever since then, he came to pack all he bought for her like house equipment, including her sewing machine.

She, therefore, prayed the court to award her the custody of the four-year-old child.

Adebola also prayed the court to direct her husband to be paying N15, 000 monthly as the child’s feeding allowance.
But the respondent, Okunola Oluwasayo, 53, a resident of No 25, Adehun St., Ado-Ekiti, described the woman as his ex-girl friend.

He said that their relationship did not last for a month and since then he had been responsible for her pregnancy, including her antenatal treatment.

He told the court that he had invested so much on her.
Oluwasayo said that he shipped three containers of wears to her to sell and remit the proceeds to him, but she mismanaged the money.

He said he provided foods, clothes and other house equipment for her to be comfortable, but she was not satisfied.
The respondent said the woman was a lazy woman who was not ready to work, adding that he bought different sewing machines for her, but she refused to make use of them.

He said that his wife usually visited him and whenever she came, he would give her transport fare because he often travelled abroad.

He, therefore, prayed the court to award him the custody of the child so that he could put him in a boarding school for proper care.

The President of the Court, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, in his judgment, observed that the marriage had broken down irretrievably and consequently dissolved the marriage.

Ogunsemi ruled that the custody of the child should be awarded to the petitioner, while the respondent should be responsible for his education.

He ordered that, the respondent should be paying the sum of N5, 000 as the child’s monthly feeding allowance and N5, 000 for his medical expenses.

He also ordered that the respondent should pay two year rent of N30, 000 per annum to the petitioner to ensure comfortable accommodation for the child.

Ogunsemi said the on the attainment of six years of age by the child, the respondent could apply for a review of the orders on this issue.

He granted access to the respondent to see his child.