Wife claims she “arrested” her husband – agrees to court divorce and gets custody of child
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A man identified simply as Tafa has narrated in court how his wife Ramota was stubborn, violent, and refused to let him have peace of mind, which made him seek a divorce.
Tafa told a Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan that he and Ramota did not perform the normal wedding ceremony even though she moved in with him after they met on the street, had sex, and she became pregnant.
He said he knew none of Ramota’s family members and so could not report her to them when she started misbehaving.
Ramota, apart from fighting him at home, he added, would come to his workplace to embarrass him.
Tafa requested an order restricting his wife from threatening and interfering with his private life.
“I regret that my path and that of my wife ever crossed,” Tafa said in giving evidence, according to Nigerian Tribune.
“Ramota and I met on the street, and I approached her for friendship. She gave the nod to our relationship and followed me home. We had sex throughout that night, and she [later] became pregnant.
“She moved in with me after this and turned my life upside down.
“Ramota had no respect for me and never listened to my instructions. She is stubborn and always refuses to take corrections. She flouted my orders at will and would always insist on having her way.
“We fight almost all the time because she was never ready to change.
“Ramota, being a violent person, would always go for any dangerous object within her reach and harm me with it. Our neighbours take us for a nuisance because we never ceased to fight and disturb the neighbourhood.
“There was none to report her to because I never met any of her relatives and did not pay her bride price.
“My wife did not restrict her shameful behaviour to the home, but she would also come to my workplace to fight and humiliate. I have lost the respect of many as a result of her disgraceful act.
“My lord, I am tired of our marriage.
“My peace has deserted me since she moved in with me. I can no longer tolerate my wife’s misbehaviour.
“I want Ramota out of my house and life.”
Ramota replied: “It is true that we engaged in sex and I became pregnant shortly after we met on the street.
“He has since then been unkind to me and neglected me. His attitude towards our only child was not better.
“He has failed to be a dutiful father to him.
“I always appeal to his conscience, but it was obvious his heart was hardened.
“My husband showed how inhumane he was when he refused to check on our son while on admission in the hospital. He reluctantly gave me N1,600 out of the huge amount we were billed for our child’s treatment in the hospital.
“I arrested him with the local security outfit, Amotekun, after he had succeeded in frustrating me.
“He came to court after they dealt with him.
“My lord, I have endured my relationship with my husband enough. I accede to divorce.
“I entreat the court to grant me custody of our child, but make my husband responsible for his upkeep.”
Customary Court President S.M. Akintayo ruled that it was obvious that their relationship between Tafa and Ramota had broken down irreconcilably, and as both of them had agreed to a divorce, it was proper for the court to grant it.
Akintayo declared their union dissolved, granted custody of their son to Ramota, and ordered Tafa to be responsible for the upkeep of the child.
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