A Grade A Customary Court sitting at Mapo in Ibadan, Oyo State, has dissolved the 16-year-old marriage between one Taofeek Hamzat and his estranged wife, Badrat, on grounds of battery and unrepentant adultery.

Delivering judgment, the court’s President, S.M. Akintayo, held that the marriage between Hamzat and Badrat ceased to be forthwith, because the duo was not willing to continue as husband and wife.

Though, Mrs Akintayo acknowledged that the marriage was valid based on the evidence adduced by the two parties that there was payment of bride price by Hamzat.

She ordered Badrat to take custody of the two female children with her.

Similarly, Mrs Akintayo  directed Hamzat to continue to take custody of the two male children in his custody because they were already teenagers.

She granted the order restraining Hamzat from harassing, threatening, disturbing and interfering with the private life of Badrat henceforth.

Earlier, Hamzat had told  the court that he often beat his wife because she was an unrepentant adulterer.

Hamzat, a commercial motorcyclist, stated this in his counter argument in court while justifying the reason for subjecting his estranged wife to frequent battery.

He noted that if he had known that his wife would eventually turned out to be promiscuous, he would not have married her.

“My lord, I monitored Badrat to the extent that I saw her with various men at various locations in Ibadan. For instance, I saw her with one Alhaji Abdulrasheed coming out of Unifes hotel at Idiobi area in Ibadan.

“As if that was not enough, I caught her red-handed with another concubine of hers named Abe in another hotel known as Zenith Hotel, at Akingbade area of Ibadan. Worst still, one of my friends known as Soji also took her on an adulterous outing. In fact, it was Soji that told me that he slept with her. Besides, Badrat had an abortion and has refused to allow me have sexual intercourse with her,” Hamzat testified.

He begged the court to dissolve the marriage and grant him custody of the children.

Badrat, a trader,testified that she opted for the separation of the 16 year-old marriage in order to forestall further domestic assault by her husband against her.

“When Hamzat refused to stop beating me, I got him arrested by the police. Furthermore, he does not have adequate time to cater for the children. Compel Hamzat to be responsible for the children’s education and feedings and I promise to provide support in anyway I can,” Badrat said.

The petitioner was however silent on the series of infidelity allegations levelled against her. 

(NAN)