I feel traumatised and live in fear every day. My wife and I share the same genotype, AS while one of our two children has been confirmed to be SS. The fate of our second child hangs. My wife unfortunately feels less concerned about our plight. She gives herself away cheaply to other men, steals my property and plans to take them over completely.”
“I only stole two of his turkeys and these I sold at N30, 000. He belongs to Ogboni Fraternity and has a room permanently locked up. I, therefore, don’t have access to his valuables which he kept in the room along with some fetish items.”
These were part of the evidence given at Oja Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, by a couple, Olarenwaju Olapade and Tolulope Olapade.
Olarenwaju had dragged his wife to court, praying that it ends the nine-year-old relationship between them.
Olarenwaju in his divorce suit alleged that he and his wife were not compatible based on health ground. He added that Tolulope, aside stealing his property, was a woman of easy virtue.
The plaintiff thus prayed the court to end their wedlock and grant him custody of their two children whose health condition requires special attention which he said their mother failed to give.
“My lord, I pray this court to help put an end to my anguish by ruling that my wife and I go our different ways as from today,” Olarenwaju stated.
“My nine-year-old marriage to my wife turned sour the day I realised we are both AS.”
“I became distraught when our first child was confirmed SS. My lord, I feel a shiver run through my spine any time the thought that our second child could share the same fate with our first child runs through my mind.”
“But my lord, to my chagrin, Tolulope obviously feels unperturbed about these.”
“Rather than being sober, my wife engages in extra-marital affairs. She has chains of lovers who take her out and sleep with her on regular basis.”
“Tolulope, in addition to this, took to stealing my things. She stole two out of the turkeys I was breeding. Each one cost N15, 000.”
“She was also always boasting that she would take over my property. She went as far as seizing and keeping all the keys to the rooms where I kept my valuables.”
“My lord, she beat my mother to a pulp for berating her on her irresponsible behaviour. Tolulope beat her and used her hair to pull her all over the house, thus leaving sores on her head. Our first child has the recording of this scene on his phone.”
“She threatened to poison my mother and our children whom she claimed were making her life impossible. My mother since she made this threat had started doing her cooking in her room,” the plaintiff stated.
He went on:”My lord, Tolulope has wrecked my poultry business. She’s in the habit of dashing out my chicken and turkey at give away prices to her concubines.”
“My lord, just before I left home for court this morning, I discovered she had stolen my new television set and fan which I was given at the office as the prices for the award as the best staff in my department. She broke into the room and stole the items.”
“My lord, I’ve had enough of Tolulope’s misbehaviour. I pray that you dissolve our marriage and grant me custody of our children whom she has failed to take care of.”
“My lord, these children especially our first, need special care and attention. He takes special food and is given regular medical attention.”
Tolulope and I once had a misunderstanding which led to her moving out of my house for a few months. She took the children with her and was feeding them with beans and gari. Their health had deteriorated by the time our differences were resolved and she moved back to my place,” Olarenwaju told the court.
Tolulope agreed to divorce.
“My lord, I have sworn I would not lie. It’s true I stole two of his turkeys and sold them for N30, 000,” Tolulope told the court.
“I stole the turkeys as a way of compensating myself. I was the one looking after my husband’s poultry and keeping it clean but he failed to appreciate all my efforts.”
“He refused to give me money for my upkeep and was in the habit of beating me.”
“It’s also true I beat my mother in-law blue black. She was fond of interfering in the crisis between me and her son. To make matter worse, she called me a thief.”
“My lord, my husband belongs to Ogboni Fraternity which was his reason for locking up a particular door in the house. The room has in it his valuables and some fetish items.”
“I forced the door open when we were searching for some missing items in the house. My lord, he lied that I stole his TV set and fan,” the defendant stated.
Giving his judgment after he had heard both parties, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade, stated that the love between them had waned.
Ruling, he dissolved their union and granted custody of their two children to the defendant.
The plaintiff was asked to give the sum of N10, 000 monthly to the defendant for their children’s upkeep.
He was also ordered to be responsible for their education and health care.
Both were advised to maintain peace.
@ Nigerian Tribune
