Court Dissolves 11-Yr-Old Marriage In Ekiti

A customary court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has dissolved the 11-year-old marriage between Mr Adebayo Oluwafemi and his wife, Funmilayo.

Oluwafemi, 40, had dragged Funmilayo to court for dissolution of the marriage on the grounds of threat to life, lack of care by the wife and constant quarrels.

The marriage is blessed with two children, 10-year-old Peace and Samson, 18 months old.

The petitioner alleged that Funmilayo had a bad behaviour and was “extravagant, wayward, a slanderer and a pathological liar.”

He said, “My wife is fond of telling me she would kill me and nothing would happen. I have heard series of things she said about me after our fight. She is wayward, I don’t trust her anymore. She would not enter the house until 8pm. She does what pleases her and does not care about me.”

Funmilayo, however, denied all the allegations Oluwafemi levelled against her.

She said the petitioner had failed in his duty by not providing their children’s needs, especially the school fees and other demands of their first child when she gained admission to a secondary school.

The President of the court, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede, said it was obvious the parties could no longer live together.

The court, therefore, separated both parties with immediate effect and awarded the custody of the children to Funmilayo.

The court ordered the petitioner to be paying N10,000 monthly for the upkeep of the children and allowed him access to them.

It granted any of the parties the right of appeal to the judgment within 30 days.