Mr Ademola Odunade, the President of a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan,
has dissolved an 11-year-old marriage between Emmanuel Oyebadejo and his
wife Bukola over adult.ery and trouble making. Odunade remarked on
Thursday that there was no more need for any settlement since both
Emmanuel and Bukola have remarried.
“Therefore, in the interest of peaceful coexistence, the union
between Emmanuel and Bukola has ceased to be, henceforth. “Bukola shall
take custody of the 10-year-old child produced by the union and Emmanuel
shall provide N5,000 as monthly feeding allowance for the upkeep of the
child. “In addition, Emmanuel shall be responsible for the child’s
welfare and education,” the Arbitrator said.
Earlier in his explanation before the court, Emmanuel said that his
wife, Bukola was forni.cating with his long-time friend who stood as his
best man on their wedding day.
“My lord, soon after Bukola moved into my home, she stopped obeying
my instructions and often took me through series of insult, abuses and
disrespect. “She started engaging in adult.ery with my long-time friend
who stood as best man on our wedding day, an act which I consider as
horrible.
“When Bukola became an unrepentant trouble maker, I reported her on a
number of occasions to her parents and Bukola’s father did a lot in
changing her positively, but her mother was a very bad influence on her.
“Then, I handed her over to my best man who I felt could talk to her on
my behalf.
“I noticed that they were frequently having meetings, but their
meetings were adulte.rous ones, my people told me and I caught them
myself. “During that period, I got a job in Lagos and I sometimes travel
to Abuja for purpose of business. That friend of mine was still having
s*xual affairs with her.
“I had stopped having any s*xual relationship with Bukola since I got
to know that she has become adulte.rous. She told me that she was
preg.nant and I said that I was not responsible for it. “My lord, we
have stopped leaving together for the past six years, but I have been
sending N2,500 every two weeks to her for the upkeep of the child. “I
will like to have custody of the child,” Emmanuel prayed the court.
However, Bukola who did not oppose the divorce suit was also silent on the allegation that she was adulte.rous.
“My lord, Emmanuel is in no way a responsible husband and father. He
had abandoned the child and I for more than nine years and the child
can’t even recognize him. “He has sent no money to us for care,” Bukola
stated.
However, there were contradictory evidences from the witnesses
supporting both Emmanuel and Bukola as to whether Emmanuel was
responsible or not.
Emmanuel resides at Sango-Ota, Ogun State, while Bukola resides at Odo-Oba area of Ibadan.