‘My husband fed me, our 3 children, his 3 other children with a bag of rice per year, N1,000 per day’

A woman, Tosin, has prayed Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, to end her relationship with her husband, Dare, on account of irresponsibility, deciet and for being a threat to her life.

Tosin told the court that Dare lied to her while they were courting that he had a child outside wedlock, but that she later discovered after they were married that he had a wife and three children by her.

The plaintiff said that the defendant brought to their home the three children from his first marriage and that he would give her, her three children and the other wife’s three children N1,000 per day for food.

She added that he passed the buck of his responsibilities in the home to her.

Tosin also said that Dare always threatened that she either left her job or his home.

According to her, she left her husband’s house after she developed high blood pressure and claimed in her testimony in court that Dare still came to her new abode to threaten her with a cutlass.

The plaintiff beseeched the court for custody of their children, and added in her pleas that her husband be made responsible for their upkeep.

She further sought an order restraining him from threatening and interfering with her private life.

Dare was absent in court despite being served court summonses.

Tosin, in her testimony, said: “I met my husband in 2010, and we held our introduction ceremony in April 2011. He paid my bride price, but this was returned to him by my parents.

"We started experiencing crisis early in our matrimony because my husband was not sincere to me. He lied to me that he had a child outside wedlock, but I later discovered that he actually had a wife who bore him three children.

“My husband daily shirked his responsibility towards me and our children. He later brought home his other children from the other marriage and made life unbearable for me.

“My husband bought a bag of rice which he fed the whole home with for a year. For upkeep, he gave me, our three children and his other three children N1,000 per day for food.

“He shelved his other duties in the home and passed the buck to me. My husband was negligent of our children’s education. He paid only N15,000 out of their N48,000 school fees.

“I worked round the clock to ensure that the needs of the home were met, but he always threatened that I either left my job or  lost my marriage.

"My husband was in the habit of raining curses on me and our children. His irrational behaviour affected our eldest child emotionally and psychologically.

“His performance at school was poor, which left him behind his classmates.

“My husband and his other children were full of atrocities. Our home, therefore, became the seat of commotion. One of his children would have thrown my child in the well but for the timely intervention of a neighbour.

“My health started failing me after I developed high blood pressure and was unfit to do some things, including house chores.

“I packed my belongings and moved out of his house before he killed me, but he still refused to let me be. He would come to threaten me in my new abode with a cutlass.

“My lord, I have had enough of my husband’s irresponsible acts, which was why I came to court.

“I beseech this honourable court to end our union and grant me custody of our children.

“I also plead that my husband be made responsible for our children’s upkeep.

I further seek an order restricting him from threatening and interfering with my private life.”

The court president, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, giving her judgment dissolved their wedlock and granted the plaintiff custody of their children.

She ordered the defendant to be responsible for their upkeep.

She further gave an order restraining the defendant from threatening and interfering with the plaintiff’s private life.