A Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan has granted the prayer of one James Adedapo to dissolve his 34-year-old marriage to his wife, Oluwatoyin, for bearing two of their five children out of wedlock.
Mr Henric Agbaje, the presiding president of the court, held on Tuesday that from the evidence before the court, it was clear that Oluwatoyin bore the two children in question out of wedlock.
“It is very disgusting for any wife to involve in this kind of mess, because it is a crime against God and humanity.
“Well, the long and short of it is that Adedapo no longer feels secure staying with you as a spouse and the court cannot act in contrary to his will.
“In the interest of peaceful coexistence, the union between both of you ceases to be henceforth,” Agbaje declared.
Earlier, Adedapo told the court that his wife gave birth to two children, the pregnancies of which he was not responsible.
“Since we got married in 1981, Oluwatoyin had been involved in a number of suspicious moves such as engaging in extra-marital affairs but I was enduring, believing that she would one day turn a new leaf.
“Sometimes in 2005, the first child, who was then in the University, said he needed some money for his education, but I couldn’t afford it.
“I was very ill at that time and so I directed him to my brother who also had difficulties then.
“I later heard from Oluwatoyin’s close friend that the first and the fourth, out of the five children are not my biological children.
“Oluwatoyin later told my relatives and me that the two children didn’t belong to me and these are the same two children I had spent my whole life training and catering for.
“Worst still, the duo have now done sworn affidavits to change their names from mine to one Festus Emode, a broadcaster at FRCN Ibadan.
“At the climax of her ineptitude, she invited one of her concubines, a Pastor, into my home in the name of whatever I don’t know and I caught them in deep sexual intercourse.
“Then, I wanted to stab them with a knife, but I changed my mind and I confronted them the following morning,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adedapo is a retired civil servant and lives at Iyana ofa area of Ibadan.
The defendant, a trader and resident of Jakande Estate, Lagos, however, denied all the allegations levelled against her.
She said she merely tricked her husband into changing his hostile attitude towards her.
“I am still interested in the relationship even though Adedapo does not trust me.
“All the five children belong to both of us. At no time did I have any concubine outside our relationship.
“The Pastor he referred to only came to pray with the family at a vigil organised in our house after he sensed that our union might be plunged into a problem.
“I merely dramatised to Adedapo that two of the children belonged to another man in order to persuade him into giving me the right treatment that I deserve.
“I don’t know Emode. Kunle’s (one of the children under contention) friend only attached Emode to his name because he is very brilliant among his mates,” Oluwatoyin explained. (NAN)
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