Court dissolves 12-year-old marriage over lack of care

An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court on Wednesday dissolved the 12-year-old marriage between Lekan Ajayi and his wife, Busayo, over lack of care, frequent fighting and desertion of matrimonial home for five years.

In his judgment, President of the court, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, said that the marriage had broken down irretrievably.

“Both parties should go their separate ways and maintain the peace,’’ he said.

Ogunsemi awarded custody of the first child to the petitioner (Lekan), while the second child was awarded to the respondent (Busayo).

He ordered that the petitioner should pay N5, 000 monthly to the respondent for the upkeep of his child.

“The money should be paid to the registry of the court for onward delivery to the respondent,’’ he said.

He granted unrestricted access to the children for both parties.

Earlier, the petitioner, Lekan, 39, an automobile mechanic, told the court that his union with the respondent started in 2005 and she deserted him in 2012.

He said that he has been the only one responsible for the education of his children since the respondent left him.

Lekan said he was tired of the respondent unruly behaviour and her refusal to take correction.

“She decided to pack out when she felt she could not abide with my instructions as the husband and father in the house,’’ he said.

He appealed to the court to award the custody of the two children to him in order to enable him take good care of them.

The petitioner urged the court ‎to dissolve the union for peace to reign in his life.

The respondent, Busayo, 40‎, a cardigan weaver, denied the allegations made by her husband.

She said it was the petitioner’s family that was partly responsible for their matrimonial crisis.

Busayo said the petitioner’s life style also contributed to their problems, stressing that her husband was a drunkard.

She urged the court to award the custody of her two children to her and demanded N15, 000 as monthly feeding allowances for the children.