In a startling revelation at the Grade A Customary Court in Mapo, Ibadan, spare-part dealer Olawale Idowu pleaded for the dissolution of his 13-year marriage to Yemisi due to persistent violence. Residing at No. 25, Okeolode Aremo area, Ibadan, Idowu recounted his harrowing experiences with his estranged wife.
Idowu narrated his relentless endurance throughout their marriage, only to face continuous aggression from Yemisi. “Despite my efforts to keep the peace, Yemisi remained volatile.
I was forced to leave our home on December 16, 2023, after she attacked me violently in the middle of the night,” he explained. He further disclosed that Yemisi would often slap him and tear his clothes without provocation.
When summoned to court, Yemisi’s reaction was defiant. She tore the court notice and threw it back at Idowu. As evidence of the abuse, Idowu presented the torn clothes and the damaged summons to the court.
In her defence, Yemisi claimed that Idowu had abandoned her for another woman. She admitted to the midnight altercation in December but argued that Idowu’s mother exacerbated the situation by threatening her and involving the police, leading to her arrest.
Presiding over the case, Mrs S.M. Akintayo noted the absence of evidence regarding the payment of bride price, a crucial element in validating a lawful customary marriage in Nigeria.
Consequently, Akintayo declared that there was no marriage to dissolve between Idowu and Yemisi, as it never legally existed.
Despite Idowu’s request, the court awarded custody of the couple’s three children to Yemisi. Akintayo ordered that Yemisi must not deny Idowu access to their children and that both parties should share responsibility for their welfare, education, and other needs.
The court instructed both parties to go their separate ways and granted a restraining order against Yemisi, prohibiting her from threatening, harassing, or interfering in Idowu’s private life henceforth.
