By Olawale Akinremi
Ibadan – A Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, on Wednesday, dissolved a 12-year-old marriage between one Adekunle Adeyemi and his wife Ariyike, over her secret chats with lover.
The President of the court, Chief Ademola Odunade, said he had to dissolve the union because the chain of love binding the couple together had broken.
He awarded the custody of the two children of the union to Adekunle, because he had all along catered for them.
“Ariyike is permitted to visit them in their school only once a week.
“My advice to husbands and wives is to be watchful of their actions, especially as extra-marital affairs will only bring about a sad end to your relationship,” said the arbitrator.
Earlier in his counter argument against his wife’s accusation of ceaseless battery and quarrelsomeness, which he did not deny, Adekunle said his wife was promiscuous.
Adekunle, an electrical engineer, further stated that his wife regularly returned home late in the night.
“After all my efforts at changing her adulterous attitude failed, I decided to watch what would happen next.
“On a given night, she thought I had fallen asleep, but I heard her discussing her last sexual encounter with her secret lover.
“I later took her mobile phone and I saw a series of chats between Ariyike and the man.
“On April 1, 2014, Ariyike texted the man: ‘Happy new month my love, how are you? May we live together to enjoy ourselves because no one can separate us till the end of the world`.
“Another message sent on April 23, 2014 reads: `Hello dear, my only love. I thank God for your life and many more’.
“I then asked one of our children to read the messages and the child later informed her of how I saw the chats.
“I also called Ariyike’s secret lover, asking him to put himself in my position and how he would feel if someone was sleeping with his own wife,” Adekunle told the court.
He added that the maan in question pleaded with him, but that Ariyike still continued the adulterous relationship, now always keeping her phone within her reach.
“In addition, she had moved her property out from my home and the children don’t even see her as their mother since she doesn’t give them motherly care,” Adekunle said.
Meanwhile, Ariyike did not deny any of the chats tendered by Adekunle as evidence.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Ariyike had on Feb. 25 petitioned the court to put an end to their 12 year-old marriage, claiming that her husband was maltreating her.
(NAN)
