Lagos court saves 6-year-old barren marriage

An Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday saved a barren six-year-old marriage between Mr Sodiq Oseni and his wife, Kemi, and rejected a plea for its dissolution.
The husband and wife, who had expected a dissolution of the marriage, got a “pleasant surprise’’ when the prayer sought was not granted.
It was reported that the court’s president, Mr R.I. Adeyeri, reconciled the couple instead of dissolving the union after series of counseling.
While striking out the case, Adeyeri admonished the couple to maintain peace always.
The petitioner, Kemi, 47, a teacher, had filed a suit on Aug. 5, seeking the dissolution of her six-year-old marriage, citing adultery.
She said her husband, Sodiq, was taking advantage of her childlessness to befriend several women.
“My husband has been bringing his girlfriends to our matrimonial home even to spend the night just because of my childlessness,’’ she said.
She also accused her husband of always raining curses and abuses on her, saying she inherited “bad behaviours’’ from her mother.
“Anytime we had misunderstandings, my husband would throw out my belongings and chase me out of the house,” said Kemi, a pupil instructor.
She further accused the husband of abandonment and lack of care and that he had turned her into a punching bag at the slightest misunderstanding.
She pleaded with the court to dissolve the union, saying “there is no love lost between them and he has no more emotional feelings for me.’’
“Please separate us, my husband does not love me again as he is flirting around with ladies.’’
In his defence, Sodiq, 53, a security officer, accepted responsibility for some of the allegations leveled against him by his wife.
“I always throw out her property because of her bad behaviours.
“I usually plead with her mother for her intervention to persuade my wife to come back home,’’ he told the court.
The respondent, however, denied bringing his concubines into their matrimonial home and that he only accommodated a female friend, who had accommodation problem.
He, however, pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage, saying “I still love her.’’ (NAN)