A middle-aged woman, Memunat Tijani , on Tuesday at an Ake Customary Court, Abeokuta in Ogun, sought dissolution of her seven-year-old marriage to her husband, Morufu Tijani on ground of abandonment.

The petitioner urged the court to dissolve the marriage due to alleged threat to life, lack of care for her and their children.

Memunat, who resides at Adatan area of Abeokuta, told the court that she could no longer cope with the marriage which produced two children.

She said that her estranged husband was not a responsible man.

“Since I gave birth to my second child in 2015, my husband left the house, due to a misunderstanding I had with his mother.

“As a result of the quarrel I had with my mother-in-law, she packed her things and left our house angrily, I had since apologised to her and she had forgiven me.

“But my husband is using the misunderstanding I had with his mother as an excuse and refuses to come home.

“He said because I chased his mother out of our house he would not come back home to me and the children.

“I have begged him several times, I also went to his family and friends to plead with him, but all my effort proved abortive,’’ she said.

Memunat said that she waited several years for Morufu to forgive her and return to their matrimonial home.

“After waiting for some years, this year I decided to pack my things out of his house.

“When he noticed that I had packed out with the children, he called me on phone and told me he would not pay his children school fees anymore.

“He also said that when the children grow up, they would look for him.

“I am fed up; the responsibility of the children is too much for me to bear alone.

“ I want the court to dissolve our marriage and also compel him to pay his children’s school fees,’’ the petitioner said.

Morufu, who resides at Kuto area, denied some of the allegations levelled against him.

He said that he was a responsible father to his children.

“I am a responsible father to my children; I usually send their feeding money and also pay their school fees by myself.

“I just refused to come back to my matrimonial home because my wife is too troublesome. Truly I left the house for her because she chased my mother away.

“The problem with my wife is her mother; her mother is the one encouraging her to be unruly,’’ he said.

The respondent said that he had since forgiven the petitioner after friends and family members intervened in the matter.

“During the Muslim festive period, she travelled to her parents place, and she refused to come back after Sallah, when I called her she said her mother wanted to see me.

“She later told me on phone that her mother said she must not agree with the term of settlement, that was the reason I decided not to go back home to her,’’ Morufu said.

He however, told the court to grant his wife’s request to dissolve the marriage.

The president of the court, Mrs Olorunwo Sam-Obaleye, urged after the couples to give room for reconciliation.

Sam-Obaleye said the couple should go back home and allow their families and friends to mediate over the matter. She adjourned the case until Nov.12 for judgement. (NAN)

– Oct. 30, 2018 @ 14:05 GMT |