Lagos – An Alimosho Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday dissolved a 17-year-old marriage between Ajoke Ayoola and her husband, Omotayo, for infidelity and frequent beatings.
In her judgment, the President of the court, Alhaja S.O Mumuni, said the petitioner was adamant despite all mediation from the court and family intervention.
“The marriage between Ajoke Ayoola and Omotayo is hereby dissolved from today in accordance with the Lagos State Customary Law, 2013 Cap.19.
“Both parties are no longer husband and wife; they are free to marry any partner of their choice without any hindrances and molestation.
“Both parties are to keep peace all the time, any violation of the order will amount to contempt of court without option of fine,’’ Mumuni held.
She referred the issue of custody of the only child to the family court within the Lagos Judicial Division.
Ajoke, 52, a businesswoman, had urged the court to dissolve her marriage to Ayoola for alleged infidelity and constant beating.
“There was a day a landlord on our street came to our house shouting and saying that my husband attempted to rape his housemaid,’’ Ajoke said.
She said that her husband regularly beat her with dangerous weapons and had turned her into a punching bag.
“He always beat me and chased me out of the house with cutlass most times, I sleep in my friends’ houses,’’ she said.
Ajoke, a mother of one, said that Omotayo eloped with their only child to Oyo State without her consent and denied her access to the child.
Ayoola, 53, a businessman, said that his wife chased him out of the house because she was the one that built the house.
“I relocated to Oyo State last September when my wife sent me packing from her house.
“I had to go with my daughter because Ajoke always use her at her beer parlour and will not allow her to focus on her education,’’ Ayoola said.
Ayoola said that he had never beaten his wife, and challenged Ajoke to show any mark or evidence of the frequent beating.
He accused his wife of always instigating their daughter to run away from Oyo State to Lagos.
The respondent asked the court to grant his wife’s wish since she insisted on dissolution.
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