By Olawale Akinremi
A Grade A Customary Court sitting in Mapo, Ibadan on Thursday dissolved a 20-year-old marriage between Opeyemi Ismail and her estranged husband, Erinle Ismail on grounds of constant disobedience and drunkenness.
Delivering judgment, the court’s President, Mrs S.M. Akintayo held that Opeyemi and Ismail were no longer interested in their relationship and could go their separate ways.
The court based its judgment on the premise that the pair was already living separately for the past eight years.
Akintayo awarded custody of the three children aged 20, 13 and seven respectively to the petitioner and directed the respondent to be responsible for their general welfare and education.
She granted the respondent a reasonable access to the children.
She also granted the order restraining Ismail from harassing, threatening and interfering in the private life of Opeyemi forthwith.
In his counter argument against Opeyemi’s claims, Ismail, a panel beater stated that he consented to the dissolution of the marriage because he was completely fed-up.
“My lord, Opeyemi talks too much and if I reprimand her, she does not respect me, thus, disobeying my instructions.
“In fact, she stopped cooking for me; so, I started giving her money only for the children’s feeding,” he said.
He also told the court that he was broke during the naming ceremony of their first child hence he was not present.
“I left home because of series of problems Opeyemi subjected me to and since then I have not married any other wife,” Ismail testified.
Ismail also refuted the petitioner’s initial evidence that he did not pay any bride price on her.
“I paid N2500 to her grandmother who handed her over to me formally,” he said.
Opeyemi, a trader, had earlier testified that she and the respondent started cohabiting after an introduction and that there was no payment of bride price or formal handing over.
Further in her testimony, she contended that the frequent fight between her and Ismail had made her to develop stress.
“Ismail does not care for me. Besides, he regularly comes home late in the night drunk,” Opeyemi stated. (NAN) (http://www.nannews.ng)