The Igando Customary Court in Nigeria’s Lagos state, dissolved on Monday, the 17-year-old marriage between a tricycle operator, Olasunkanmi Abdul-Kareem and Bolanle AbdulKareem, after he admitted guilt for consistently raping his wife
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Not even the intervention by family members and the court itself could make the woman rescind her decision, leaving the court with no option, but to dissolve the marriage as the petitioner had sought.
President of the court, Moses Akinniyi in delivering the judgement said the petitioner was persistent on getting a dissolution of the marriage, therefore, “Both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife. Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances and molestation.
He added that, “Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the husband still claims he loves his wife.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reported the 40-year-old woman as having said that “Whenever my husband comes home drunk, he will want to make love to me ‘by fire by force’ and I will caution him not to do it in the presence of our children.
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“He will beat me and make love to me by force while the children watch us.
“There was a day I came back from work and I met my children, one on top of another doing what they always see their father do to me,’’ Bolanle added.
What probably made the woman adamant on bowing out of the marriage was the claim that “My husband derives pleasure in beating me. There was a day he beat me and broke my leg. One day, he threatened to kill me and I ran to one of my relatives’ house.
“My husband came there and met my sister’s husband ironing his clothes; he snatched the iron from him and started chasing me with it.
“Seeing his desperation, I ran into the street and my husband still chased me with the pressing iron.
“Anytime, I reported him at the police station the police always tell me that it is a family matter and refuse to caution him,’’ the now free woman said.
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She further claimed that her former husband was irresponsible and only spent his money on alcohol.
“Olasunkanmi neither cares for me nor for the children. I am the one paying their school fees.
“He has a tricycle that he is using for business but he always uses the proceeds to drink to stupor and usually loses self-control.’’
However, when the reality of losing his wife dawned on Olasunkanmi Abdul-Kareem, he begged the court that “Please, do not dissolve our marriage, I still love my wife, I know I have made a mistake; I will make amend.
He added that “I don’t derive pleasure in beating her but I only beat her whenever she disobeys my instruction.
He also attempted explaining his actions that “The day I snatched the pressing iron from my in-law, I only wanted to use the iron wire to beat her and not to burn her’’.