Court dissolves 7-year-old union over threat, cheating

A customary court sitting at Mapo in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ended the cohabitation between one Saheed Oladipupo and his common-law partner, Bidemi. Oladipupo had approached the court to dissolve the union on the grounds that the respondent constantly threatened his life, was a troublemaker and was promiscuous. The court’s President, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, stated […]

A customary court sitting at Mapo in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ended the cohabitation between one Saheed Oladipupo and his common-law partner, Bidemi.

Oladipupo had approached the court to dissolve the union on the grounds that the respondent constantly threatened his life, was a troublemaker and was promiscuous.

The court’s President, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, stated that she ended the seven years of cohabitation between Oladipupo and Bidemi because they were no longer interested in remaining together.

Citing various sections of the law to support her judgment, Mrs Owoseni noted that there was no valid customary marriage between the petitioner and the respondent based on the evidence provided by both parties. (NAN)

 

She held that: “Therefore, the cohabitation between Oladipupo and Bidemi no longer subsists in the interest of peaceful living.”

Owoseni awarded custody of the three children of the union, aged seven, four and three, to Bidemi and directed Oladipupo to pay a monthly feeding allowance of N60,000. She also directed that the father should be responsible for their education and general welfare.

The court’s president ordered the respondent to grant the petitioner reasonable access to the children. Furthermore, she restrained Bidemi from threatening, harassing, disturbing or interfering with Oladipupo’s private life henceforth.

Earlier, Oladipupo, a dealer in pharmaceutical products and resident of Odo Ona Kekere area in Ibadan, told the court that: “Sometime in February this year, Bidemi broke the doors and the glass windows in the house with a pestle and launched an attack on me.

“During the last Sallah festival, Bidemi, alongside one of her relatives, fought me in my shop and almost bit off one of my fingers. Then she took away my clothes and caused me grave embarrassment. Moreover, she brought soldiers to beat me up.”

Responding, Bidemi said: “My lord, I still love Oladipupo, but his mother is the brain behind all my marital problems. She just doesn’t want to see my face. I don’t know how I have offended her.

“I don’t even know where Oladipupo currently lives since he abandoned the home about eight months ago. I’ve been to his shop just once, and he beat me on that day.

“The land upon which he built the house he is talking about belongs to me. I only included his name and the name of our first child in the land documents. If Oladipupo insists on separation, I plead with the court to give me custody of the three children and a monthly feeding allowance of N150,000, because I’ve been responsible for their sustenance.” (NAN)