Ekiti court dissolves 20-year-old marriage over drunkenness

An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court on Thursday dissolved 20-year old marriage between Mr Karimu Adeosun and his wife, Sidikatu, over allegations of drunkenness and threat to life.

The President of the Court, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede, in her judgment, held that granting the application for divorce was the right decision having observed from the court’s records that the marriage had broken down irretrievably.

She awarded the custody of the two children of the marriage to Sidikatu for proper care.

Olayinka ordered Karimu to provide monthly feeding allowance of N5,000 to Sidikatu to cater for the children effective from Sept. 31.

She ordered that the sum should be paid through the court’s registrar.

The court president further held that both parents should be responsible for the education of the children and granted the father unrestricted access to the children.

The 75-year old petitioner, Karimu, a farmer, who resides at No.25, Ajowa St., Ado-Ekiti, filed the application to divorce Sidikatu whom he married 20 years ago as the fourth wife.

Karimu in his petition, accused Sidikatu of constant drunkenness which often led to indecent behaviour.

He testified that several attempts to dissuade her from alcohol were unsuccessful and described Sidikatu as “a trouble maker” who would engage in a fight with neighbours whenever she was drunk.

“My wife is a drunk and whenever she takes beer, she will start fighting our neighbours.

“Am not comfortable with this and if I dare intervene, she would start abusing me,” he told the court.

The petitioner further told the court that Sidikatu was in the habit of threatening to kill him with hired assassins whenever they had an argument or disagreement over family issues.

He, therefore, pleaded with the court to dissolve their marriage to enable him have peace of mind.

But the 59-year old Sidikat, a trader, who resides at No, 27, Ogbon Ado St., Ado-Ekiti, denied the allegations.

Sidikatu blamed the petitioner’s second wife for the constant rift between them.

She told the court that one of the reasons for their disagreement was the petitioner’s habit of ordering her to ‎sleep on the chair in the sitting room.

“He usually allows the second wife to sleep on the bed with him in the bedroom.’’

The respondent, however, said she was not contesting the application for the dissolution of their marriage.

Two witnesses for the petitioner corroborated his claims and testified to Sidikatu’s constant drunkenness and other allegations.