Marriage of 17 Years Dissolved By Court In Lagos Over Secret House Built By Wife

On Wednesday, a Lagos Island Customary Court dissolved a 17-year-old marriage between a couple, Haruna Amunikoro, a transporter and his wife, Alimotu, after the husband allegedly complained that his wife built a house without informing him.

The court President, Awos Awosola, said that the effort of the court to reconcile the couple had failed, as Amunikoro insisted on a divorce, Vanguard reports.

”The marriage between the two parties is hereby dissolved with effect from today in accordance with the Lagos State Customary Court Law, 2011, Order 3, Rule 7, as amended.

”The custody of the first child and only son, Anus, 15, is awarded to the father while that of the two girls, Simiyat, 10; and Aishat, 7, remains with the wife.

”The petitioner should pay the children’s feeding allowances of N10,000 on a monthly basis through this honourable court and should also be responsible for the children school and hospital bills.

”However, both parties are granted unhindered access to the child/children at any reasonable time of the day,” Awosola ruled.

He also ordered the petitioner (husband) to give the respondent (wife) N250,000 compensation within 7 days of the judgment with which to start her new life.

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The 42-year-old husband, who resides at No. 91/93 Odunfa St., Lagos Island, in his petition, told the court that his wife, a trader, bought a plot of land in Ikorodu and built a bungalow on it without informing him.

”My wife has also started giving out tricycle and motorcycle to riders and they pay for them on installment, which is the same business that I do.

”I have warned her severally to stop the business but she would not listen. On two occasions she has stabbed me with a kitchen knife and scissors.

”My wife is not sincere with me. She hides so many things about herself from me. I cannot cope with her secretive ways anymore, please separate us,” he pleaded with the court.

The wife, on the other hand, did not deny the allegations. She said that she started being secretive with her husband because of the sudden change in his behaviour and his infidelity.

She told the court that their marriage which was once blissful took a different turn in 2012 when they rented their own apartment.

”We were staying in my husband’s family house before we rented our own apartment in 2012 since then my husband has been unfaithful to me.

”He brings different kinds of women into our matrimonial home and sleeps with them on our bed. Whenever I confronted him, he beats me.

”On three occasions my husband beat me to a pulp and stripped me naked. I joined him in doing the same business because it is a lucrative one, but since I started it, I have had no rest of mind,” she said.

Alimotu, who had consistently prayed the court to reconcile them as she still loved her husband, however, pleaded with the court to dissolve the marriage without further delay.

She said: ”Since I have been begging my husband and his family for so long and nothing positive have come of it, please dissolve the marriage so I can go on with my life.”

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