Divorce us or I’ll jump into r*ver, man tells court after 40 years of marriage

A retired civil servant, Mr. Isiaka Azeez, on Wednesday
petitioned a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan to dissolve his 40-year
marriage to Mujidat.

He threatened to jump into the river if the court rejects his
request, citing his wife’s “constant provocation.”

Narrating his ordeal before the President of the court, Mr.
Ademola Odunade, the elderly man said he was fed up with his wife’s
“troubles and frequent threat to his life.”

Azeez, who is believed to be in his 70s, said he had never
enjoyed any rest of mind during his 40-year union to Mujidat.
Rather, he said, it had been tales of “sorrow and trauma.”

“For over 20 years now, my cohabitation with Mujidat has been
that of cat and rat because she is highly disobedient and an
example of a mistaken wife.

“Her attitude suddenly changed towards me the moment she
realised that things had gone bad with me financially and she
started treating me with disregard.

“Then I developed diabetes and other systemic problems, but she
did not take care of me.

“Worse still, Mujidat told our three children to also take me as
a nonentity because they neither greet me nor show me any form of
respect.

“For the past one year, Mujidat had, in fact, moved away from my
home,” Azeez said.

“If this court refuses to put an end to our union today, I
prefer to go and jump into Dandaru River,” he added.

The plaintiff’s younger brother and sister who testified in the
matter confirmed his deposition.

However, the respondent opposed the suit and also denied some of
the allegations leveled against her, adding that her husband had,
in fact, neglected her for his second wife.

Mujidat submitted that she had never misguided the children
against their father and that they only did what they wished.

“The real reason why my husband filed this suit against me is
because I no longer allows him to sleep with me and this is due to
my age and his ailment.

“Please, for the sake of our children, don’t separate us,”
Mujidat pleaded.

In his judgment, Odunade dissolved the union, noting that the
relationship has been irreparably damaged due to the respondent’s
misbehaviour.

He, however, ordered the plaintiff to pay N5,000 to Mujidat to
enable her move her things out of the house she shares with
Azeez.

(NAN)

Subscribe ToNairalaw News!