Man seeks divorce from a bullying wife

In a dramatic testimony at the Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan, Mr Kazeem Yekini opened up about the relentless bullying and blackmail he endured in his marriage, seeking the court’s intervention to dissolve the troubled union.

Yekini painted a harrowing picture of his life, detailing how his estranged wife, Opeyemi, consistently blackmailed him, tarnishing his reputation and causing irreparable damage. He described instances where she allegedly locked him up and even summoned the ‘Amotekun’ corps without any justifiable reason.

The distressed husband also claimed that Opeyemi had cast a spell on him, leading to considerable hardships. Despite his pleas for mercy, he asserted that his wife persisted in her destructive behavior.

In a surprising turn, Opeyemi did not deny the allegations during cross-examination. Instead, she appealed to the court for an amicable resolution, acknowledging her unjustifiable fights with her husband.

The court’s president, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, delivered a verdict emphasizing that the marriage lacked essential elements for a valid union under Customary Law. Noting the absence of evidence regarding the payment of bride price, she declared the marriage illegal and, therefore, not subject to dissolution.

In a final decision, Akintayo awarded custody of the couple’s only child to Opeyemi, accompanied by a monthly allowance of N10,000 from Yekini for the child’s well-being. While allowing the couple to part ways, the court ordered them to maintain peace and order in their separate lives.