LAGOS - a 33-year-old marriage on Thursday in Lagos hit the rocks after several failed interventions by the court and family members to save the union.
An Igando Customary Court which gave the ruling, said the marriage between Mr Michael Arokoyo and his wife, Mojirayo, is dissolved.
The President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, cited lack of care and unruliness by the wife.
Omilola said the petitioner (Arokoyo) was insistent on the dissolution in spite of several mediation by the court and family members.
“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the wife’s claims that she still loves her husband.
“The court hereby pronounce the marriage between Mr Michael Arokoyo and Mrs Mojirayo Arokoyo dissolved today; both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.
“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrance or molestation,” Omilola ruled.
Arokoyo had told the court that his wife who had four children for him had not taken care of him.
“I live like a bachelor, I wash my clothes and cook for my food.”
Arokoyo, 65, said:“My wife is stubborn, she does not respect me. There was a day she slapped me and I beat her until she fainted.
“She left the home sometime ago and returned after two weeks. I did not know about her whereabouts.”
He said the relationship turned sour when he was no longer working as the wife became hostile to him.
The estranged husband also told the court that his wife had turned the children against him and urged the court to terminate the marriage.
“The love I have for her has faded, I want the court to dissolve the marriage.”
Responding, Mojirayo, 57, urged the court to ask her husband to disclose the whereabouts of their second son, a medical student in the university, seven years after the father asked him to come home.
She said:“My husband called our son, who was studying medicine at the university, to come and see him and up till today, my son cannot be found.
“It is seven years now that the boy, who is supposed to be 29 years old this year, disappeared into thin air.
“All efforts made by me to find him proved unsuccessful; please court help me ask my husband what he did to my son.”
She also accused the husband of distancing himself from the family especially the children.
“He does not care about the welfare of the children. He does not even know where the children are schooling not to talk of paying their school fees. I pay their fees.”
Mojirayo, however, pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage, saying “I have met all my husband’s demands. I still love him.”
An Igando Customary Court which gave the ruling, said the marriage between Mr Michael Arokoyo and his wife, Mojirayo, is dissolved.
The President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, cited lack of care and unruliness by the wife.
Omilola said the petitioner (Arokoyo) was insistent on the dissolution in spite of several mediation by the court and family members.
“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the wife’s claims that she still loves her husband.
“The court hereby pronounce the marriage between Mr Michael Arokoyo and Mrs Mojirayo Arokoyo dissolved today; both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.
“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrance or molestation,” Omilola ruled.
Arokoyo had told the court that his wife who had four children for him had not taken care of him.
“I live like a bachelor, I wash my clothes and cook for my food.”
Arokoyo, 65, said:“My wife is stubborn, she does not respect me. There was a day she slapped me and I beat her until she fainted.
“She left the home sometime ago and returned after two weeks. I did not know about her whereabouts.”
He said the relationship turned sour when he was no longer working as the wife became hostile to him.
The estranged husband also told the court that his wife had turned the children against him and urged the court to terminate the marriage.
“The love I have for her has faded, I want the court to dissolve the marriage.”
Responding, Mojirayo, 57, urged the court to ask her husband to disclose the whereabouts of their second son, a medical student in the university, seven years after the father asked him to come home.
She said:“My husband called our son, who was studying medicine at the university, to come and see him and up till today, my son cannot be found.
“It is seven years now that the boy, who is supposed to be 29 years old this year, disappeared into thin air.
“All efforts made by me to find him proved unsuccessful; please court help me ask my husband what he did to my son.”
She also accused the husband of distancing himself from the family especially the children.
“He does not care about the welfare of the children. He does not even know where the children are schooling not to talk of paying their school fees. I pay their fees.”
Mojirayo, however, pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage, saying “I have met all my husband’s demands. I still love him.”
In this article: