70yr-old man drags wife to court over alleged bleaching

A 70 -years-old man, Mutairu Afolabi, on Monday sought the dissolution of his 36 years marriage to Monsurat, 60, over alleged bleaching and conversion of his wife to Christianity.

Afolabi told the court that as an Imam his wife’s conversion from Islam to Christianity as brought him shame.

He said that the marriage was consummated in 1980 and produced four children, from age 20 to 33.

“The smell of her body since she started bleaching is not good for my health, why should she be bleaching at her age, she now a grandmother.

“Her name is Monsurat before I married her, my wife is now known in the whole Celestial Churches in Lagos; I’m an Imam how do I explain that.

“She goes out at will, without my permission, she curses a lot and I can see that her curse is coming to pass in the lives of my children.

“I told my wife that I have diabetes the next day she started singing that God should add honey and sugar to her life.

“She always says that I will soon die, which I know is true, but even if I have a day to live, I want to live in peace, our children have tried but she does not listen,’’ he said.

The respondent told the court that all the allegations levelled against her were false.

“He stopped sharing the same room with me since 2005, he bought a new mattress, when I complained, a family meeting was held but still no change.

“As we speak, he does not give me money to cook in the house, he usually gives money to the children to cook for him.

“When I was sick and hospitalised for three weeks, he didn’t come to the hospital even for once to check on me.

“He calls me a witch, he curses me at the slightest opportunity, he said I won’t be successful as long as I remain in his house, that is why I changed to Christianity,’’ Monsurat said.

The President of the court Adegboyega Omilola, his ruling for adjournment told the couple to come to court with three family members for possible settlement.

Omilola, however, adjourned the case till Jan 27.