A pastor, Segun Olawoyin yesterday dragged his wife, Funmilayo Olawoyin to a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, seeking the dissolution of their 20-year-old marriage.
Segun accused his wife of being stubborn, non submissive, irresponsible and always instigating their children against him.
The clergy man also told the court that his wife had constantly denied him sex.
He, however, urged the court to terminate their marriage and grant him custody of their four children.
He stated before the court that: “My wife told me while we were courting that I would live to regret it if I married her. I thought she was joking and waved the statement aside, but the reality dawned on me after we got married.
“There was never a moment I enjoyed our marriage for the seventeen years we lived together as husband and wife because she gave me hell.
“She was stubborn, non submissive and always rubbing shoulders with me in the home. Any time I gave an order, she would flout it. She likewise turned our children against me and encouraged them to disobey me. Anytime I complained, she would flare up and rain curses on me.
“My lord, she constantly denied me sex. She would go to bed fully dressed and turn her back to me. She would lie down on the bed stiff like a log of wood. On many occasions, I begged and prostrated for her before she allowed me make love to her.
“She was in no way supportive in the home and my ministry. She was in the habit of creating rift in our immediate and extended family. She caused both my family and hers to be at loggerheads.
“My wife was also fond of peddling rumours in the church. She accused me of sleeping with female members of my congregation and succeeded in destroying homes of many members of my congregation.
“She destroyed the church I established and have been pasturing for 18 years. The congregation which was made of 70 members dwindled and was finally left with seven.
“She soiled my name and turned me into a laughing stock in our neighbourhood and among other church leaders. People pointed at me on the streets and called me unprintable names, “the plaintiff stated.
“She packed her belongings and moved out of our home three years ago. Our family members came together to mediate in our differences but she refused to make an appearance at the meeting. She insisted she would not return to my house until I come to beg her and this I swore I would never do.
“I took another wife a year after she left and hell was let loose. She was always coming to fight me and my wife and gave us no rest. I thus decided to come to court,” he concluded.
Funmilayo while giving her evidence did not admit to divorce.
She said: “My lord, all he has said are lies. I tolerated all his atrocities while I was with him because of our children. He was a womanizer to the core and he derives sexual satisfaction from these women.
“I don’t agree to divorce because I don’t want our children to suffer. I have been taking care of them since he drove me out of his house three years ago. If our marriage is dissolved, he and his new wife would neglect our children and make them suffer,” she stated.
After listening to both parties, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade observed that there was no more love between them.
Odunade, in his ruling, dissolved their marriage and awarded custody of their children to the plaintiff.
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