A Grade A Customary Court sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has dissolved a 13-year relationship between Mr. Adisa and Mrs. Falilat after the husband accused his wife of neglect, drunkenness and refusing marital intimacy.
Adisa told the court that Falilat became “uncontrollable” after she joined the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC). According to him, she frequently stayed out late, returned home intoxicated and had not been intimate with him for nearly two years.
He further alleged that Falilat had abandoned her domestic responsibilities, leaving their children unkempt and rarely preparing meals for them. “She has made my life miserable since joining the OPC,” Adisa said, adding that their relationship had broken down irretrievably and he could no longer tolerate her behaviour.
Despite repeated summonses, Falilat did not appear in court to defend herself.
Delivering judgment, the court president, Mrs. O.E. Owoseni, explained that the union could not be considered a valid customary marriage since no bride price was paid. However, given that Falilat failed to respond to the allegations, the court accepted Adisa’s testimony and declared the relationship dissolved, thereby granting him his request for separation.
