Lagos court saves 13-year-old childless marriage, reconciles couple

An Igando Customary Court on Thursday in Lagos saved a 13-year-old childless marriage between Mr Shola Akande and his wife, Omolade, from collapse.
The intervention of the court’s President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, and the couple’s families helped in resolving the couple’s differences including infidelity.
Omilola urged the couple to give peace a chance in the marriage and be law abiding.
“Since the court was able to reconcile the couple through thorough counseling, I urge both of you to go home and live in peace and love,” he said.
Earlier, the petitioner, Akande sought the court to end marriage, saying “my wife accused me of buying a car for my girlfriend so she seized my car key.
“I begged her to give me my car key but she refused. Her family intervened by pleading with her to release the car key to me but their pleas fell on deaf ears.”
He alleged that his wife was in the habit of fighting him, adding that, “my wife derived pleasure in tearing my clothes whenever she fights me.
“There was a day she tore my clothes in the presence of her father.”
The embittered husband also accused his wife of always stealing his money.
He said:“My wife stole my money in the house and also burgled my office and stole all the money in my drawer.”
The 52-year-old businessman said his wife always accused him of infidelity, saying “anytime my wife sees me with any woman, she will be fighting and accusing me of dating her.
“For how long will I continue with these allegations? I can no longer talk or laugh with a woman because I am married to Omolade.
“I am a businessman, I sell land and both men and women come or call to buy land or building from me.
“My wife once seized my phones after I received a call and accused me of talking to a woman. It took the intervention of our pastors before she released the phones to me after a week.”
The petitioner told the court that his wife had no respect for him or for her own father, describing her as a stubborn woman.
“Due to her stubbornness and my persistent complaints over her misdemeanors, her father advised me to seek the dissolution of the marriage,” he said.
He, therefore, urged the court to terminate the barren marriage that has nothing to show “for both now and the future.”
However, Omolade, 45, said she seized her husband’s car key because he refused to pay her the money he borrowed from her but he had money to buy a car for a girl.
“I was not happy when I heard that my husband bought a car for a girl while he still owes me N220, 000.”
Omolade, a businesswoman, also accused her husband of always drinking to stupor, adding that whenever she scolded him, he would turn it to a fight.
“My husband always comes home around 1 a.m., drunk and whenever I cautioned him, he fights me,” she alleged.
Omolade, however, denied stealing her husband’s money and lamented the tag of a barren woman put on her by the husband.
“My husband calls me a barren woman but I had three children during the 13-year-old of our marriage, but they all died,” she said.
The respondent urged the court not to grant her husband’s wish, insisting that she still loves him.