An Orile Agege Customary Court in Lagos State has dissolved the 17-year-old marriage between Funmilayo Kareem and her husband, Saliu, over adultery and related issues.
In his judgment, President of the court, Chief Bolarinwa Popoola, held that the marriage ended when the wife left the husband’s house and had a child for another man.
While delivering judgement, the court president said: “Adultery is and has always been a major cause of divorce. This marriage is hereby dissolved with immediate effect.”
Below are details of the issues that led to their divorce…
Funmilayo, a mother of three, had urged the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that her husband always cursed her whenever they fought.
“The major reason I want to divorce him is that he is a dirty man and he fights and curses me a lot. I do not know how I became his wife, only God knows. I was forced to marry him, until now, I do not know his people.”
On his part, Saliu denied the allegation and urged the court to grant her request. The husband said:
“It is not true that she was forced to marry me; we knew each other for about a year before I married her. We even went to pay her bride price to her family. What actually happened was that she became adulterous and I reported her to her parents.
“She claimed to be attending vigils, but I got to know that she was sleeping around. I once did not allow her to go for the vigil but she insisted and left without my permission.
“I went to the pastor and asked of her, the pastor denied seeing her and he called her, which was when she said she told me a lie to leave the house.
“The reason she came to court is that she has a child for another man, she even left my house with the pregnancy,” the husband stressed.
