A woman, Osaryekeme Odometa, has accused her husband of burning her clothes while gifting his girlfriend some of them.
Osaryekeme said this at a hearing at Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday. She alleged that her husband, Jolomi, had also threatened to kill her with a gun.
She told the court that she was fed up of their 11-year-old marriage and wanted out.
“There was a day we were going to church, he asked me why I was not wearing my wedding ring, I told him I removed it when I wanted to wash but forgot to wear it back.
“He turned back and drove me to my parent’s house. In their presence, he threatened to rent a gun, kill me and my parents.
“Whenever we have misunderstanding, my husband will be saying that he will kill me with a gun, I am afraid, he may carry out his threat one day.
However, in his own response, the respondent, Jolomi, denied some of the allegations but agreed that he beat his wife frequently.
“It is true I beat her often with a belt whenever she erred.”
The 45-year-old businessman said that his wife did not make the marriage work, adding that she always packed out of her matrimonial home whenever they had misunderstanding.
“She has moved out of the house on four occasions over slight misunderstanding.”
The respondent said that he would not collect any bride price from his wife.
“I was not the one that paid the bride price, so I will not accept it, she should go to my family that paid it and return it.”
He made a fervent plea to the court not to dissolve the marriage that he still loves his wife.
Adeniyi Koledoye, the court president, said that since the petitioner, Osaryekeme, insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court was left with no option other than to grant her wish and pronounced the union dissolved.
He granted the custody of the child to Osaryekeme while Jolomi must pay N5,000 monthly for the child’s feeding.
“He must also be responsible for child’s education and general welfare”, Koledoye ruled.