Court dissolves 21-year-old marriage over food

An Igando Customary Court has dissolved a 21-year-old marriage over the wife’s, Aisha Abiodun, poor cooking.

Delivering his judgment, the President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said the petitioner – Ashimiyu Abiodun, 54, – was adamant despite all mediation to safe the marriage.

“Since the petitioner has insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union despite the wife’s claim that she still loves her husband.

“The court pronounced the marriage between Ashimiyu Abiodun and Aisha Abiodun dissolved today; both parties, henceforth, ceased to be husband and wife.

“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances or molestation,” Omilola ruled.

Earlier, the petitioner, Mr Ashimiyu Abiodun, 54, had approached the court and asked it to dissolve his 21-year-old marriage over his wife’s alleged poor cooking.

“My wife did not know how to cook, her food was always tasteless. Anytime she cooked and I complained about her food, she would tell me to cook myself.

“And I started cooking my food because if I had continued eating her food, I might have fallen sick,” he said.

Abiodun said, “My wife was very dirty; she would not wash or sweep the house, everywhere in the house used to smell.

“She kept packing used plates for four days or more without washing them and I was always doing the cleaning.

“Aisha would out every Friday and returned on Sunday evening. During weekdays, she would leave home by 7 a.m. and returned at midnight and I dared not query her.

“Aisha had turned my children against me, they had stopped respecting me and she would not allow me to correct them whenever they erred.

“On several occasions, my wife and my first son had torn my clothes in the public when I wanted to beat him for his wrong doing,” he said.

Abiodun said his wife was lazy saying she ruined the shop he equipped for her on three occasions.

But Aisha, 46, a launderer, said, “I did not know why my husband stopped eating my food. I tried my best to give him good food but he was always complaining that my food was tasteless.

“I was not dirty as I was always cleaning the house,” she said.

Aisha urged the court not to grant her husband’s plea, saying “I still love him”.

NAN/punchng