President of Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan, R. B. Gbadamosi, yesterday, fixed August 16 for hearing of application filed by a University of Ibadan lecturer, Prof. Sikiru Babarinde, in a case of marriage dissolution. His estranged wife, Dr.Balikis Babarinde, had through her counsel, Funmiso Idowu, filed a committal application for contempt against the professor for failing to obey court order mandating him to be paying the school fees of the three children. The plaintiff’s counsel, Idowu had informed the court of his pending application praying for extension of time to file a counter affidavit to the application of stay of proceedings filed by the respondent. He told the court that the respondent had been served with the application, urging the court to grant his application.

The defendant’s counsel, Mr. Yusuf Anikulapo, however told the court that he has filed an application for stay of proceedings over the committal application. Anikulapo also confirmed receipt of the application, saying he has just been served the process in court and the court granted the application for extension of time. He subsequently prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him respond on point of law to the counter affidavits filed by the plaintiff, adding that he would have responded to the application if the plaintiff’s counsel had served him earlier. Responding, the President of the court, Gbadamosi, adjourned the matter till August 16 for hearing of the application of stay of proceedings and responses of both parties. Recall that Dr. Babarinde had asked the court to dissolve her 20-year-old marriage. The appellant, who lectures at the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, is married to Prof. Sikiru Adekola Babarinde, of the Department of Early Childhood and Education Foundation in the same institution. In her claim, Bilikis told the court to grant her the custody, care and control of their three children, Halimah Babarinde, Mahmudah Babarinde and Waliyyah Babarinde. She also asked that her husband take full responsibility for the three children till they complete their university and post-graduate education.