Mrs Fatimo Ajao pleaded with a Lagos court to dissolve her 19-year-old marriage over abandonment. She also alleged that her husband, Jamiu, turned her into punching bag and planned to kidnap their children.
The 35- year- old woman of 13, Odunbaku Street, Ogba, told the court that she wanted the custody of the children.
The mother of three filed for the dissolution on the grounds of what she described as “threat to life, lack of responsibility and absence of love”.
”When I delivered our last baby, my husband promised to foot the naming ceremony bills, but his phone was switched off until the evening of the ceremony when he reappeared”, Fatima said.
”My husband is not responsible; he came around 7p.m. after we had named the baby and was asking for the child’s name.
”He absconded from the house after our second baby and used to come to the house once in a while, make love to me, then go back to where I don’t know.
”I endured because I didn’t want to be moving from one man to the other, but now that he threatens to kidnap my children, I want the court to dissolve the marriage.
”My children did not recognise their father after four years of abandonment. He came back and when the children did not go to him, he promised to kidnap them”.
She also told the court that her husband had married another wife.
”I want the court to dissolve the marriage and grant me the custody of the children”.
The respondent, Jamiu, a commercial vehicle driver, who lives at 573, Adebimpe Street, Ketu,told the court that he still loved his wife.
”I might not be a perfect husband, but I know that I am better than some husbands who beat their wives”, he said.
”I want my wife to give me a second chance, I would change. I don’t want to divorce her. I am still in love with her.”
The court told the couple to maintain the peace and adjourned the case to Dec. 5 for further hearing.
