by Oge Okonkwo

The divorce case between a State Security Service (SSS) official and his wife at the Igando Grade ‘B’ Customary Court took a dramatic turn as the  audience, officials and judge could not help but laugh at the couple.

The SSS official, Anthony Ebemere and Beatrice Ebemere, a factory worker residing at  41, Jakande Estate, Isolo are seeking for a divorce, with Mr. Ebemere insisting he wanted a refund of the bride price he paid, if their marriage is dissolved by the court.

According to Mrs. Ebemere, she told the court that she gets beaten and threatened by her husband frequently, and he always neglected her basic needs and there no more love between them.

Reports say:

She said, “He fights with me frequently because most of the time, he will come home drunk and he will want to make love to me, this cause the fight most of the time. He raped me on many occasions. He also said I have a boyfriend and I should go and meet him to give me feeding money.

”He didn’t pay our landlord house rent there is no bed in our room, I was even the one that bought the two chairs that are there. He embarrasses me around even in my church; he almost killed me in church one day saying nobody should interfere in the matter as I am his wife. He sends people to call and threaten me on phone that if I leave him, he will kill me. I was pregnant for him in 2012 but lost the pregnancy in November 24, 2012 due to lack of care. He even refused to pay the hospital bill. He paid N200 out of N12,000,” she said.

The 38 years old defendant, Mr. Anthony Ebemere, who lives at 4, Akinyele Street, Hostel bus-stop, Egbe a police officer with the State Security Service (SSS) at Marina defended himself thus: “I never fought her, the only thing is that one man called in the night one day that she should come to church by 5 am the following morning.

”I called the man back; the man said she didn’t tell him that she was married. I took her the next day; I didn’t tell her where we were going, when she knew that it was the man’s house she ran away. I took the matter to their church, they said she did not tell them that she was married in church; she was even suspended from the church over this matter. Also I care for her a lot, she called me in the night of Nov, 23rd that she was having some pains.

”I even consoled her that God will give her another pregnancy and I paid N10,000. When I got home one day and saw my wife on drips, I told her to stop stressing herself. I went to her working place that she is my wife and I don’t want her to work again. They said I should find a way to stop her myself that they cannot do that for me. Before I came back the next day she has packed all her belongings and even mine. She packed my belongings worth N300,000. I still love my wife very well but if she insist that she doesn’t want me back, I want the N1.2 million I spent on her dowry and my belongings she took making N1.5 million,” he told the court.

Mrs. Ebemere, when permitted to cross examine the defendant, said: “he didn’t allow me to take a pin when I left his house. He said I should not come near his house. He has my clothes and shoes worth N2.1 million. In fact, he is the one to balance me with N600,000.

One of the clerks in the court confirmed that before the hearing, Mr. Anthony threatened in the court that if the court should dissolve their marriage, he will kill himself and Beatrice.

The case has been adjourned till April 16th for judgment.