By Olawale Akinremi
A Grade A Customary Court sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, has dissolved a five-year-old marriage between one Monilola Kolawole and her estranged husband, Olugbenga on grounds of alleged home desertion and sexual starvation.
Delivering judgment, the court’s President, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, held that she dissolved the marriage because Monilola, the petitioner, was no longer interested in continuing with the relationship.
“Based on the evidence adduced by the petitioner, there is a subsisting marriage between Kolawole and Olugbenga because of payment of bride price and presentation of gifts.
“However, the former is no more willing to continue as a result of the latter’s home desertion for three years.
“Therefore, the court has no other reason than to put an end to the relationship in the interest of peace and tranquility,” Owoseni said.
She, however, dismissed Monilola’s prayer seeking to restrain Idris from any form of harassment, threat and interference with her private life because same person had gone for three years now.
Earlier, Monilola, a trader and resident of Old Academy area in Ibadan, contended that she made up her mind to call it quits with her husband because he abandoned her in the matrimony for no particular reason.
She lamented that if she had known that Idris would abandon her at any point in their matrimony, she wouldn’t have exchanged marital vows with him in the first place.
“After doing the necessary marital rites, Olugbenga and I began our lives as a couple, but I discovered that he was keeping away from having sexual intercourse with me.
“I did all I could to ensure that he stopped starving me of sex, but my efforts were to no avail.
“All these culminated in not being pregnant or having any child with him.
“Besides, Olugbenga was not caring in any way.
In fact, he decided to abandon the home three years ago and I don’t know where he currently lives.
“Worst still, Olugbenga’s relatives have told me to vacate their son’s apartment,” she stated.
However, the respondent was not in court when he was called to begin his defence of the allegations levelled against him.
The bailiff said that he had served series of hearing notices on Idris, but that he chose to decline court’s invitation. (NAN)
