A 60-year-old businessman, Mr. Friday Maleghemi, and one of his wives, 49-year-old Victoria, on Thursday asked an Igando Customary Court in Lagos State to dissolve their 28-year marriage.
They told the court separately that they were no longer interested in the union which had been laced with mutual suspicions that one was responsible for the ill health of the other and had not produced any child.
The husband, Friday, while responding to a divorce suit filed by Victoria, said the woman had refused to follow him to his village to swear to an oath over his ill health.
Friday also told the court that he suspected Victoria to be responsible for his troubles.
“My other wives, except Victoria, agreed to follow me to my village. Instead, she packed out of our matrimonial home in 2014.
“She then called me from where I was receiving treatment that she was no longer interested in the marriage.’’
The respondent accused his wife of being “an ingrate,” having allegedly forgotten that he built a house for her parents in her village when he was well.
He urged the court to grant the wish of his wife because he was no longer interested in the marriage.
Earlier, Mrs. Victoria Maleghemi said that she approached the court to end the 28-year marriage because her husband, Friday, sent her packing from their matrimonial home.
She told the court that her husband initially told her to leave the house for two weeks to allow some diviners to sanctify it.
“When my husband was sick, he asked me to leave the house, that some people wanted to sanctify it and that he would ask me to return after the cleansing.
“I complied; but after two weeks, he did not call me. I came home only to discover that he had changed the keys to the house. When I called him, he told me that he was no longer interested in the marriage.’’
The 49-year-old trader said that she refused to follow her husband to his village for the oath-taking because she had been warned by her pastor not to travel.
“I received a message from my pastor not to embark on any journey or swear to any oath. That was why I refused to go with him to his village,’’ she said.
Victoria begged the court to dissolve the marriage, saying it had not produced any child and that she was no longer interested.
“Please, my Lord, dissolve the union that has not produced any fruit,” she pleaded with the court.
The president of the court, Mr. Adegboyega Omilola, after listening to the estranged couple, adjourned the case until July 4 for judgment.
-NAN
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