Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday dissolved the 14-year-old marriage between one Mrs Adeola Adelani and her husband, Olajide, after the wife said she had been sex-starved for eight-years.
Delivering his judgment, the President of the court, Mr Hakeem Oyekan, said that the estranged couple were tired of the marriage and all efforts to reconcile both parties had failed.
“Since both parties consented to the dissolution of their marriage, this court has no choice than to dissolve the marriage.
“The couple can no longer stay together because the marriage has broken down totally; both parties are no longer husband and wife, they are free to go their separate ways.
“Both parties are to keep the peace all the time; any violation of the order should be reported to the police for redress,” Oyekan ruled.
The petitioner, Adeola, 39, had approached the court seeking to dissolve her marriage to Olajide for allegedly refusing to make love to her for eight years.
She told the court that she was married to Olajide about 14 years ago and had a 12-year-old son with him.
“My husband refused to make love to me for eight years. I want to have another baby because our son is 12-year-old and I am not satisfied with only one child,’’ she told the court.
The petitioner accused her husband of abandoning her and their child for an unknown destination since 2013.
She alleged that her husband had refused to disclose where he lives and where he works, but said that he always sent his son’s school fees and house rent through her bank account.
Adeola said her husband told her pastor that he had married another woman and had children, and that she should find another husband for herself.
The petitioner said she was a sad woman with neighbours referring to her as a “rejected and abandoned property.’’
She begged the court to dissolve the marriage because she wanted to move on with her life.
In his response, Olajide, 45, a businessman, did not deny the allegation of starving his wife of sex.
He said that he refused to make love to his wife because he did not want her to have another baby because the first baby was born through Caesarean Section (CS).
“I don’t want to risk her life because she gave birth through CS, this is why I have distanced myself from her and I want her to take care of our child.
“Besides, I did not abandon my wife, I only decided to move closer to my work place due to the distance from my house.
“I always squat with my friends and I come home once in a while,’’ he said.
He claimed that he had no other wife nor children elsewhere.
Olajide, however, conceded to the dissolution of the marriage because he was also fed up with the union.
© Copyright NAN; Send eyewitness accounts/reports/articles to publisher@elombah.com; follow us on twitter handle @Elombah; like our Facebook page: “Elombah.com”