A businessman, Musa Habeeb, begged an Upper Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja, to order his wife, Mulikat Shuaibu, to leave his house.

Mr Habeeb told the court that he pronounced divorce to Shuaibu three months ago, but she refused to leave his house.

“I consulted my lawyer, Abdulwaheed Yakubu, to get a divorce letter from the court on December 18, 2023, which has been done. Shuaibu is no longer my wife. I want the court to order her to leave my house,” Mr Habeeb said.

Mr Shuaibu’s counsel, Sherifdeen Bello, however, said there was no divorce.

“The procedures have not been followed. If the plaintiff claims to have divorced his wife, she has not observed ‘Iddah’, which is a waiting period of three months according to Islamic injunction, before contracting another marriage,” Mr Bello said.

He said Mr Habeeb had not paid any money to Mr Shuaibu, who is heavily pregnant, for maintenance since December 10, 2023, but paid on January 8, 2024, because the matter had been taken to court.

Mr Bello applied for Mr Habeeb to pay N80,000 to Mr Shuaibu for feeding and maintenance and N14,000 for gas monthly.

He added that Mr Habeeb should pay N100,000 to cater for their unborn baby.

He also applied for Habeeb to continue to pay his daughter’s school fees and return the items he removed from their home since the matter started in court.

In response, the plaintiff‘s counsel said Mr Habeeb was up and doing with his obligations in his home and urged the court to discountenance the respondent’s application.

However, the judge, Mohammed Wakili, adjourned the matter until February 5 to continue the hearing.

(NAN)