- Although it’s been long since I slept with her, I did not abandon her – Husband
A housewife, Saidat Ganiyu, has approached a Customary Court sitting in Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State, to dissolve her seven-year-old marriage to her husband, Moruf Ganiyu, for allegedly denying her sex in the past two years.
Saidat said that since her husband married a second wife, he had stopped sleeping with her and never bothered about the upkeep of their three children.
The woman, who said that she married her husband in 2011, explained that she had developed hypertension over the alleged uncaring attitude of her husband towards her and the children since he got married to another woman.
The teacher said that her husband was fond of beating her at the slightest provocation, especially whenever she raised issues concerning the misbehaviour of his second wife towards her.
She told the court that her husband did not care about the health of their children, whenever they fell ill, adding that he had stopped paying their school fees, which both of them used to contribute towards.
She also expressed regret that her parents never wanted her to marry her husband, but because she loved him, she went ahead not knowing that he would marry another woman who she alleged had destroyed their home.
Saidat told the court that she aborted two pregnancies for her husband and was forced not to tell him early about the pregnancies of her two children, who she had after their first child because her husband might resort to terminating them.
She said she packed out of her husband’s house because she did not want to die of hypertension and constant beatings, urging the court to order her husband to pay N30,000 monthly for the upkeep of their children.
“Whenever I complain about his behaviour, he would beat me. I had hypertension because of him and I don’t want to die and if I die, who will take care of my children? That is why I want to divorce him,” she cried.
In his defence, Moruf said that all that his wife told the court were lies. He said that his wife did not have hypertension, adding that she packed out of the house without his knowledge.
The husband, who admitted that it had been long since he slept with his wife, however, kicked opposed allegation that he stopped sleeping with her since 2016, when he married his second wife.
He, however, prayed the court to grant him the custody of his three children, promising to be responsible for their upkeep and education.
He said, “Although I can’t remember the last time I had sex with my wife, it is not up to two years as she said. I did not abandoned her and the children because I had a second
wife.
“What pained me is that she packed out of my house without us having any quarrel; I even gave her feeding allowance that morning. All I want from her are my children.
I will take care of them myself,” he promised.
While giving her judgement, the President of the court, Mrs. O.O Sam-Obaleye, advised the family members of the couple to go and settle the dispute between them amicable.
She adjourned the case to September 26 for further hearing.
