Oyo man seeks 15yrs marriage dissolution over wife’s infidelity

A man, who identified himself as Adekola, has asked a customary court in Ibadan, Oyo State, to dissolve his 15-year-old marriage to his wife, Olaitan, alleging infidelity, violence and lack of support.

Adekola made the request while recounting a series of incidents which he said had caused the breakdown of the marriage, including alleged late-night outings with other men, physical attacks and disagreements over money.

Speaking before the Grade A Customary Court sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, on Saturday, Adekola told the court, presided over by S.M. Akintayo, that his wife frequently returned home late in the company of other men whenever he travelled out of town.

He said the situation became particularly troubling after he allegedly caught her with another man late at night.

According to Adekola, he returned earlier than expected from a business trip one night and found that his wife was not at home. He said he subsequently locked the gate while waiting for her return.

He told the court that Olaitan later arrived in the company of another man but, on discovering that the compound’s gate had been locked, allegedly climbed the fence with the man’s assistance and jumped into the compound.

Adekola said he photographed the incident and had the pictures as evidence before the court. He added that he no longer wished to continue with the marriage and sought custody of their children.

The plaintiff also accused his wife of being troublesome, aggressive and unsupportive during their marriage, alleging that she became violent during disagreements.

He claimed that Olaitan had attacked him with dangerous objects and once pulled a knife on him during an argument.

He further accused her of attempting to damage his car during another quarrel, alleging that her repeated threats had made him fear for his safety.

Adekola also told the court that their relationship deteriorated after his business collapsed and he experienced financial difficulties.

He alleged that his wife demanded repayment of a N100,000 loan obtained from her father, forcing him to sell a piece of land to settle the debt.

He claimed that Olaitan subsequently pressured him to invest the remaining proceeds from the land sale in her business despite knowing about his financial difficulties.

Adekola said he had recordings of some of the threats allegedly made by his wife and asked the court to prevent her from interfering with his privacy.

“My wife has pushed me to the wall. I no longer desire to spend a second in marriage with her,” the plantiff told the court.

Olaitan, however, denied the allegations but agreed that the marriage should be dissolved.

With the marriage already headed for dissolution, Adekola asked the court to grant him custody of their children, saying he intended to enrol them in boarding school.

After hearing the submissions, Akintayo adjourned the case for the defence.