A thirty five-year-old housewife, Omotayo Adewole, has dragged her husband of 16 years, Ojo Adewole, before an Ikole -Ekiti Customary Court in Ekiti State, seeking the dissolution of their marriage over alleged frequent gambling and heavy consumption of alcohol.
The housewife claimed that her husband had become addicted to gambling and drinking of alcohol.
Omotayo told the court in her petition that the defendant, Ojo Adewole, “is an incorrigible drunk,” whose failure in parental responsibility was monumental, “besides constant fighting, and lack of respect for my parents, coupled with non-payment of my bride price.”
Testifying before the court, the housewife alleged that her husband was addicted to both gambling and alcohol.
She lamented that gambling had made her husband wretched and an irresponsible family head, who could neither take care of the five children of the union nor provide for her as a wife.
Omotayo told the court that the defendant spent all his income on gambling and alcoholic drinks, “He is so addicted to gambling to the extent that he used my three cell phones, cooking stove and other house utensils to gamble.
“He started misbehaving since 2005, but I decided to cope with the situation hoping that he would change from the bad behaviour to no avail.
“He fights me, abuses my parents and threatens my life whenever I speak against his gambling habit and I’m tired of him”, she said.
The plaintiff further told the court that the defendant did not pay her bride price since they got married 16 years ago, adding that she had been shouldering all the care and responsibilities of the five children produced by their union.
She prayed the court to dissolve the marriage, pleading that she be granted the custody of the five children to enable her to take proper care of them.
Omotayo equally urged the court to order the defendant to pay a sum of N20, 000 monthly as maintenance allowance for the five children.
Two witnesses, Mrs. Rachael Oni and Kehinde Ogundipe, biological mother and elder sister of the plaintiff, respectively, affirmed the testimony of the housewife and urged the court to dissolve the union.
The defendant, who did not object to the allegations against him, told the court that the plaintiff was the cause of all that happened to their marriage.
President of the court, Mrs. Yemisi Ojo, consequently adjourned the matter to enable the couple explore the possibility of resolving their disagreement before the continuation of hearing.
