My Husband Slept With His Girlfriends In Our Home – Wife Tells Court

…The CCTV I installed in the house showed her stealing my money, sleeping with other men – Husband

“My husband, aside being a philanderer, is a brute. He seeks every opportunity at beating me and doesn’t appear satisfied until he leaves a scar on me.

“He doesn’t show any emotion towards me while he also cares less about the welfare of our only child. In the last five years, he gave us only two kongos of rice and N10, 000 towards the end of last session to pay  our child’s escalated school fees.

“My lord, I don’t want my life to be cut short suddenly. I also want to be there for our child. I, therefore, pray that my union to my husband be dissolved so that I can live the remaining days of my life in peace.”

These were the words of Temitope Osinbote before Oja Oba/Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Temitope had dragged his husband, Abiodun to court, seeking that their eight-year-old marriage be terminated on the accounts of adultery, irresponsibility and constant battery by her husband.

She thus prayed the court to separate them and grant her custody of their only child.

“My husband has neglected his duty as breadwinner while he’s not bothered if our only child eats or not. I can’t remember when last he gave us feeding allowance.

“We’ve been married for eight years but he stopped taking care of me and our child about five years ago when he sent me packing after he told me he was no more interested in our marriage.

“The only thing I received from him since then till now were two kongos of rice and N10, 000 meant to offset our child’s accumulated bills.

“He was fond of bringing in girls and sleeping with them in our home when I was still with him. He had been involved in this habit before we got married and I thought he would change after we got married. But rather than change, he got worse.

“Any time I complained about his indecent lifestyle, he would beat me, “the plaintiff said.”

“He didn’t stop beating me even after I packed out of his house. I lived in three different places in order to avoid his constant harassment and beatings, but he kept trailing me around and beating me.

“I have decided to come to court before he snuffs life out of me, “she stated.

Abiodun, while giving his testimony, stated that the plaintiff was his ex-girlfriend because he never asked for her hand in marriage. He added that there was no child between them.

The court president, Chief Ademola Odunade asked who the father of their only child was and he stated that she once aborted his pregnancy and had no other for him after that.

Odunade further asked who did the christening of the child and he told the court he did. He added that he marked his first birthday.

Abiodun later admitted that the child was his.

According to him, he denied paternity of the child because the plaintiff once told him during a misunderstanding that the child was not his.

The defendant gave his testimony thus:

“Temitope told me she was pregnant while we were dating and moved in with me only after she had the baby. It was my father who talked me into taking her in.

“We lived together successfully for a year before she started showing her true nature.

“Unknown to her, I had a CCTV fixed in my home and this revealed her acts on a daily basis.

“The CCTV showed how she stole my money on a regular basis, but I never asked her.

“She’s also promiscuous and sleeps around. In fact, she aborted two pregnancies.

“I once travelled for days and she left for one of her lovers place. She lied that she was with her aunty, but when I spoke with her aunty she denied ever setting her eyes on her, “the defendant told the court.

“I’ve only beaten her once in the course of our relationship and this was when we had a misunderstanding and she told me our son was not mine.

“I didn’t want to wave off the statement because her first child which she had for another man has two different birth certificates and two different surnames.

“Even after she stated this, I still remained responsible for the child’s education and general welfare. I sent him sometimes N5,000  or N10, 000  on regular basis after her mother moved out of my place all because of the love I have for him.

“She took my belongings with her when moving out of my place. The CCTV recorded us fighting over the properties and neighbours pleading with me to leave them for her because of our child.”

Odunade after listening to both parties ruled that their marriage be dissolved and granted custody of their child to the plaintiff.

The defendant was to pay N5, 000 monthly as the child’s feeding allowance and take up the responsibility of his education and health care.