He starves me and our kids, but grows pot belly eating pounded yam, goat meat at buka —Wife

A woman, Adenike Bello has approached Oja Oba/Mapo  Court  C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking the dissolution of her 11-year-old marriage to her husband, Sheriff Bello.

Adenike in her suit alleged that her husband was irresponsible and indifferent to their welfare.

She added that he was a brute who sought every opportunity at beating her.

The plaintiff stated before the court that she has had enough of her husband’s maltreatment and thus prayed it to terminate their union and grant her custody of their three children.

Sheriff admitted claim but disagreed that his wife should have custody of their children.

Adenike while giving her testimony said, “I married my husband 11 years ago and we are blessed with five children, but I have never enjoyed my marriage.

“My husband has proved to be irresponsible from the outset of our marriage. He doesn’t understand what it entails to be the head of the home, he, therefore, misbehaves.

“On many occasions, he will leave home without giving me and the children feeding allowance. Our children take something meaningful only once a day. They leave for school with empty stomach and go to bed with little or nothing inside them. Their main meal has always been lunch.  Our children, as such, look emaciated.

“But my lord, my husband, on the other hand, is looking fresh and goes about with a pot belly.  He has a buka  where  he eats  to his full.  He either eats amala (yam flour) or pounded yam with vegetable soup and goat meat and top these with palm wine.  When he comes home he grumbles and complains he has taken nothing the whole day and gushes down what I struggle to put on the table for him.

“He is also not bothered if our kids attended school or not. I pay their school fees, buy their textbooks and exercise books and also sew their school uniforms.  He doesn’t know which school they are attending.

“Instead of appreciating me for taking up his responsibilities at home, what he does is to beat me. He comes down heavily on me with punches anytime we have a misunderstanding.   Many times, he leaves me with a swollen face and aching body. He didn’t spare me even at those periods I was pregnant.

“He has no respect for my parents. They do call him in order to mediate in our differences, but he has always been rude to them.

“I’m fed up with our cat and mouse relationship. My lord, I want our marriage dissolved, “the plaintiff said.

“She can go if she so wishes. I don’t love her anymore, “the defendant stated while giving his testimony.

“I have always known her to be a liar and therefore not surprised at all she has said. She knew we all have pot belly in my family before she agreed to marry me.

“I pray the court to grant me custody of our children and also restrain her from coming to disturb me in the pretext that she has come to check on them.

Ruling after listening to the duo, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade  dissolved the union and gave custody of the first three children to the defendant and the last two to the plaintiff.

The defendant was ordered to pay N6, 000 monthly as feeding allowance for the two kids with the plaintiff.

He was also mandated to pay the sum of N3, 000 through the court to the plaintiff to pack her belongings from his home and another N12, 000 as a year house rent.

Tribune