A woman, Mrs Olamide Lawal, has dragged her husband, Saheed Lawal, before Grade ‘A’ Customary Court Mapo, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State on the accounts of irresponsibility, drunkenness and battery by the latter.
Olamide explained that Saheed got drunk all the time and would beat her blue black when he wanted to have sex with her.
She added that he was destructive. According to the plaintiff, the defendant always came to her shop to destroy her goods.
Olamide entreated the court to dissolve their wedlock but make her husband responsible for the upkeep of their children whom she said he had always neglected.
She further requested that the court restrain him from coming to fight and destroy her property both in her house and shop.
Saheed admitted to his wife’s claim but prayed the court not to dissolve their union.
“Saheed has a caustic tongue. He abuses me anytime he calls me on the phone. Not done, he will rain curses on me,” Olamide said while giving her testimony.
“My husband failed in his responsibility towards me and our children. He never gave us feeding allowance nor cared about our children’s education. He passed the buck of his responsibility to me.
“I worked round the clock to put food on the table and also gave our children transport fare five times in a week to go to school
“But all I got as reward was his maltreatment of me.
“Saheed is a drunk. He spent his income on alcohol. He returned home drunk every night and would drag me out of bed and beat me to a pulp.
“He sent me out of the house into cold on many occasions.
“We almost fought every night because he would come demanding for sex which I always refused him. I was not happy having sex with him.
“Our children always appealled to me to have sex with him so that he would not beat me to death.
“My lord, we lived in eight different houses in the 13 years we lived together because our landlord always sent us packing.
“Saheed loses his senses when drunk. He has no respect for anyone when in this state which was why he was always at loggerheads with our landlords and neighbours.
“I moved out of his house more than two years ago because of the way he was maltreating me, but he would always come to my shop to fight me and destroy my goods.
“I reported him at the police station because he refused to stop embarrassing me.
“He was asked to write an undertaking never to harass, fight or destroy my wares.
“He did but still failed to change.
“He has not stopped abusing and raining curses on me on the phone.
“My lord, I beg this honourable court, apart from dissolving our marriage to make him responsible for the upkeep and education of our children.
“I also appeal to the court to stop him from coming to my house and shop to fight and destroy my goods,” the plaintiff stated.
Saheed while pleading his case said, “I beseech this honourable court to help me appeal to my wife not to divorce me. If she does our children will suffer.”
He further stated that, “It is true I drink, but I have stopped doing that.
“I have also stopped beating her.
“But if her mind is made up on leaving me, I pray the court to grant me custody of our first child who is a male and 141/2 years old. He is in JSS3 and needs to be groomed as a man.
“I will give our twins N12, 000 for their upkeep, but won’t be responsible for their transportation to and from school.
Ruling, the court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo ordered the defendant to stop calling the plaintiff on the phone and also restrained him from going to her house and shop to fight.
Both were admonished to maintain peace.
