There was a mild-drama at Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan on Tuesday as the President of the court, Chief Ademola Odunade, dissolved an 11 year-old marriage between one Kolawole Dagunduro and Idayat Dagunduro over threat to life and sexual starvation.
Odunade held that it was important for parents to give their children proper upbringing in order to make them good husbands and wives in future.
“In the interest of peaceful living, the union between Idayat and Kolawole has ceased to be. Custody of the two children produced by the union is awarded to Kolawole,” the Arbitrator said.
Earlier, Kolawole who lived at Apata area of Ibadan had explained that his wife might kill him if the court refused to separate them through her numerous dangerous steps toward him.
“If I had known that my marriage to Idayat in 2007 would be full of sorrow, anguish and trauma, maybe I would have had a rethink or choose not to marry at all. As soon as we had our first child, Idayat began to give me pains and displeasure. She rain curses on me on daily basis, in addition to being disrespectful to my relatives.
“In fact, Idayat usually attack me in public, tear off my clothes and make me naked. As if those are not enough, she used to prevent me from entering my own house and on many occasions I had to sleep at the door. Consequently, Idayat started starving me of sex and since December last year, she hasn’t allowed me to perform my conjugal rite.
“At some points, Idayat started returning home late without caring for the children. My lord, despite my efforts at giving our children good education, Idayat has been spending the children’s school fees on her personal project. I recently found out that over N61,000 meant for their education is being owed and the children have been stopped from going to school”, he said
“I had to run away for my dare life on several occasions because she had made it known to me that she no longer love me and that anything could happen if we don’t stop living together,” Kolawole wept.
The respondent who consented to the suit however, denied some of the issues raised against her.
Idayat who earned her livelihood as a secretariat worker, argued that her husband’s aunts and other relatives were responsible for her misadventure.
“My lord, I did not starve Kolawole of sexual intercourse because I allowed him access to me six times between December 2017 and last month before he left home. His aunts who advised him to file divorce suit against me had rendered him impotent because he can no longer act like a man. Despite my numerous efforts, Kolawole has stopped responding to my sexual advances. He has never been responsible since we got married. This was manifested when we had our first child, he was unable to pay the hospital bill.
“Please, I don’t want Kolawole to take custody of the children because he is too busy,” Idayat stated.
