‘My husband threw me out with children, owes me N.6m’

AN Otu-Jeremi High court in Ughievwen judicial division, Ughelli South LGA, yesterday adjourned to the 25th of May 2016, a divorce suit instituted by a staff in the work department of Ethiope East LGA, Mr. Mudiaga Umujaigbe, against his wife, Mrs. Okiemute Mudiaga Umujaigbe, also a council staff in the administrative department of Ughelli North LGA, all in Delta State. Mr. Umujaigbe, aged 41 has approached the court on the 19/11/2015, in suit number, HCG/11D/2015, asking the court to dissolve his ten years old marriage to his wife. In his statement of claim, he averred that, “My wife has kept suspecting me saying I want to use her to do money rituals. As such she no longer respects me. She gives me trouble every time and I no longer want her as my wife. This marriage has broken down irretrievably and I want this court to accordingly officially dissolve it.” He was however not in court yesterday when the matter came up, a situation which prompted the presiding judge, Justice J.E Ikede, to frown, saying, “Why should a petitioner in a matter of this magnitude not be in court on a date fixed at his convenience, to prove his allegation against his wife beyond reasonable doubt. He was the one who sued for divorce and he is the one who did not come to court,” warning that the petitioner must not fail to come to court on the next adjournment. His wife who, while responding, accepted the dissolution of the marriage by the court, saying, “Provided my husband could prove his allegation against me. He has moved to the visitors room and no longer sleeps with me. When I asked him he said he was doing prayers and fasting, and that, again, he was no longer ready for more children after the two we had together and another girl he had out of wedlock with another woman, making the three children with us.” “Aside regularly beating me with belt and wire cables, he has left the responsibility of catering for the welfare of the children to me alone. Most importantly, he did not wait for the suit to lapse before going ahead to re-marry. He re-married another woman on the 9th day of this month (April), in the catholic faith where both of us wedded 10 years ago, they were wedded by the same priests who wedded us at first. He has thrown me and my children out of the house when he owes me and my mother over N600, 000. He is now enjoying with his new wife in the house and with the domestic properties which both of us jointly own.”