A caterer, Ayodele Oluwakemi, on Friday prayed an Agege
Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her four-year-old
marriage because her husband forced her to terminate three
pregnancies.
She said that there was also no love lost between her and her
husband, Famurewa Oladimeji.
Oluwakemi, 28, residing at No. 5, Adekanbi Taylor Close,
Okeira in Ogba, Lagos, also stated that her husband was
irresponsible and did not care for her and their three-year-old
daughter.
The petitioner also told court that her husband abandoned her
and the daughter.
She said, “My husband lies a lot. Initially, when I met him,
he lied that he was working, which I found out later was all
lies.
“Whenever I ask him for money, he keeps giving me excuses
and refuses to drop money.
“Later, I became pregnant for him and my husband forced me
to abort it, saying he was not ready financially.”
Oluwakemi disclosed that she had aborted three pregnancies
on the insistence of the respondent, whom she described as
highly irresponsible and lazy.
She said, “He never had an apartment of his own and kept
collecting money from me until I insisted he got a proper job
or business.’’
The petitioner said that when she conceived of their only
child, her father refused her husband’s marriage proposal, until
he got an apartment of his own.
She said, “Whenever I call him, he always told me that he
will call me back, which he never did.”
She begged court to terminate the marriage, saying that she
wanted to move on with her life and also wanted the
respondent to be responsible for the upkeep of their child.
Oladimeji, 34, a businessman, however denied the allegations
but said that he no longer loved Oluwakemi, pleading with
court to dissolve the marriage.
He alleged that when Oluwakemi took in for him, her father
threatened to kill him.
He said, “I accepted to take up responsibility when my wife
became pregnant. My family and I went with the marriage
proposal but her father refused to attend to us.’’
Oladimeji said that he felt his wife’s father refused his proposal
because he didn’t have a good job.
He said, “My wife’s parents do not accord me the proper
respect as their daughter’s husband. They disregard me and
call me all sorts of names.’’
He said that his father-in-law had prevented him from seeing
his child.
He said, “My father in-law threatened me to stay away from
my wife and also stopped me from seeing my child.’’
The President of the court, Mr Phillips Williams, admonished
the estranged couple and scolded the petitioner for terminating
three pregnancies.
Williams adjourned the case till February 28 for hearing.
(NAN)
