Court Dissolves 11-Year-Old Marriage Over Wife’s Dirtiness, Waywardness

Ademola Odunade, the President of a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan on Monday dissolved an 11-year-old marriage between one Jimoh Ibrahim and Barakat over unrepentant dirtiness and waywardness.

Mr Odunade held that the court was putting an end to the relationship between Jimoh and Barakat due to loss of love between the couple.

“The marriage between Jimoh and Barakat has ceased to be in the interest of peaceful coexistence.

Earlier, Jimoh, a businessman and a resident of Oja-Oba area in Ibadan, told the court that he could no longer cope with his wife’s dirtiness and adultery.“Custody of the eight-year-old child produced by the union is awarded to Barakat and Jimoh shall pay a monthly allowance of N5,000 for the child’s upkeep in addition to being responsible for his education and other welfare of the child,” the arbitrator said.

“For 11 years now, I have waited over and over to see whether Barakat would have a change of mind in her bad attitude or not.

“Instead, Barakat’s dirtiness worsened such that I had no option than to be cleaning the house and washing our wears myself.

“I also have to bathe our child and do every other necessary thing in the house.

“As if those are not enough, Barakat now move around with a gang of riffraff for the purpose of prostitution.

“My lord, she followed men to distant places like Ghana, thus abandoning her responsibilities at home,” he said.

The petitioner also said that the respondent was highly disobedient and disrespectful.

“She is so disobedient and disrespectful not only to me, but also my relatives.

“Barakat has no time to look after any child,” Jimoh said.

The respondent did not oppose the divorce suit nor deny any of the allegations against her.

Barakat, who lived at Odo-Oba area of Ibadan, however, told the court that her husband’s intention to seek for divorce was not new.

“Whenever there was any disagreement between Jimoh and I, he packs his property to his parents’ home.

“In fact, I usually go and beg Jimoh in his parents’ home to return to our own apartment,” Barakat said.