My wife denies me access to our 3 children- Man tells court

A lecturer, Prof. Sikiru Babarinde, informed a Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Ibadan that his wife, Bilikis, was denying him access to their three children.

Babarinde, through his counsel, Mr Yusuf Anikulapo, told the court that Bilikis has continued to prevent him from seeing the children.

Bilikis in her petition, sought for the dissolution of her 20-year-old marriage, on grounds of maltreatment.

”The petitioner’s counsel is not eager to have the matter given accelerated hearing and is foot dragging,” Babarinde’s counsel alleged.

The counsel to the petitioner, Mr Funmiso Idowu, objected to the allegation.

”The respondent knows where to find his children. He knows the children’s school and can visit them there anytime he wishes,” he said.

The counsel, however, informed the court that the business of the day was to hear the application for stay of proceedings filed by the respondent.

Idowu informed the court that he just took over the matter from the previous counsel handling it and has just been given all the processes in the matter.

He said that the case could not go on because he needs to respond to the application of stay of proceedings filed by the respondent’s counsel and requested for an adjournment.

The President of the Court, R. Gbadamosi, said that she was not in support of the petitioner denying the respondent access to his children.

Gbadamosi said that she was eager to grant the case accelerated hearing.

She awarded a cost of N10,000 against the petitioner for delaying the matter and adjourned the case until July 18 for definite hearing in the interest of fair hearing.