A retired military officer, Thomas Olawaye, on Monday prayed a Mapo Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Ibadan to grant his request for divorce to his wife of 52 years, Victoria, on the grounds that she was ill-tempered.
Olawaye, a father of five, told the court that in spite of several interventions by relatives to ”calm” his wife, she refused to change her bad ways.
”My lord, for you to know how terrible Victoria had been, I stopped performing my duties as a husband 22 years before she eventually left my home in 2021.
”She grabs my private parts whenever we have an argument. Victoria doesn’t mind her business in the neighbourhood we lived in.
”She has no good words for me. She curses and has even destroyed our children’s lives with curses,” he said.
He accused his estranged wife of attempting to stab him with a knife in 2023, tendering the knife as an exhibit before the court.
The respondent was however, absent in court.
The bailiff had informed the court that he served hearing notices on the respondent many times.
Delivering judgment, the court’s President, Mrs S.M. Akintayo held that there was no marriage to be dissolved between Olawaye and Victoria in the first place.
Akintayo said that this was because the petitioner did not pay any bride price and did not perform essential traditional rites required.
”The fact that a man and a woman are living together and even bearing children together does not mean that they are married, their togetherness is a mere cohabitation,” she said.
She added that the failure of the respondent to appear in court to controvert the evidence tendered against her necessitated the admission of the evidence.
She also granted the order restraining Victoria from threatening, harassing, disturbing and interfering in the private life of Olawaye.
