Court dissolves 15-year-old marriage over wife’s nagging

A Customary Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday, dissolved a 15-year-old marriage between Olalekan Coker and his wife, Ayokunmi over nagging.
Delivering judgement, Chief Henry Agbaje, the President of  the court held that there might be bloodshed if the court refused to put an end to the union.
“Therefore, the union between Olalekan and Ayokunmi has ceased to be henceforth in the interest of peaceful living,” the arbitrator said.
He awarded custody of the three children to Ayokunmi and ordered Olalekan to pay N15,000 as the children’s monthly feeding allowance in addition to been responsible for their education and other welfare.
Earlier, Olalekan, who resides in Odoona community in Ibadan told the court that his wife had become an oppressor.
”She sends my relatives away whenever they come to visit. She sent my invalid mother away. She nags me over my relatives’ visit.
”She is so arrogant that she frequently threatens to attack and rain curses on me at will,” he said.
He said that he reported her at the Orita-Challenge Police Station on July 16 and 27 “when she threatened my life and destroyed my property”.
“I want the court to end our marriage because she has not stopped threatening to wreak havoc in my home,” Olalekan said.
Ayokunmi, however, objected to the suit and denied all the allegations leveled against her.
The mother of three, who is a nurse, argued that her mother in-law was the major problem in her marriage.
“Anytime she comes around, she complained that I don’t know how to cook . I got sick and in my absence, my husband married a close friend. I sent her away and reunited with my husband.
“Please my lord, don’t terminate our union, I am ready to turn a new leaf.
“I am ready to write and sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour,” Ayokunmi said.