by Jewel Stephen

Nimota Fatokun, a 43-year-old trader has dragged her husband before the Customary Court in Alakuko, Lagos, over allegations of maltreatment.

She told the court that her husband, Moruf Fatokun shirks his responsibility to the family and does not respect her opinion.

She pleaded with the court to dissolve their sixteen year old marriage over these allegations.

According to Nimota, “This is the 10th year that my husband stopped giving me any allowance. I always took in each time he slept with me. He pays only a quarter of our children’s school fees, leaving me to pay the balance .At times, he would steal from my savings to give our children as feeding allowance. My husband is wicked to us. On different occasions when I went into labour, he would not provide the medical bills.

“He doesn’t seek my advice before taking any decision. He thinks I am not intelligent. My husband keeps lamenting that the landlord will show up soon, but I later got to know that he is the owner of the house through a neighbour.  As a result, I sold the shop he bought for me at a ridiculous amount because he wasn’t catering for our needs,” she said.

Moruf, however, defended himself saying his wife has a problem that cannot be solved.

He reportedly said, “My wife has a problem, which I think can’t be solved. Whatever we discussed, she informed her relations. I can’t do without sleeping with my wife, so I had to give her money for family planning, but she literally blew the money.

“How can I be happy with her when she sold the shop I bought for her at a huge amount of money? She doesn’t assist me with our children’s school fees. I had to visit my wife the next day after she was delivered of our last child because I was ill.

“I was shocked to find my wife and children missing because we were on good terms before I left for work and she had no reason to pack out of the house. I searched unsuccessfully for my family for several days. I then resolved to visit the welfare home for children. Upon my meeting with the management, they summoned my wife’s relations, who refused to show up. I later found out that they were living with their grandmother.”

The Court President, Awos Awosola, ordered Moruf to be in custody of the first three children and later adjourned the case till October 23.

Isime Esene