A septuagenarian, Mr. Tajudeen Giwa, has asked an Ikorodu Customary Court in Lagos State to dissolve his marriage of over 40 years because his wife ignores him and denies him sex.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the petitioner also alleged that his 63-year-old wife, Karimat, had become a threat to his life and usually incited their seven children against him.
“Karimat does not care for me again; she denies me my matrimonial right to sleep with her.
“She gangs up with our children against me, to the extent that they threaten my life on her behalf.
“I am fed up with the marriage and I no longer love her,’’ the petitioner, who resides in Idiorogbo village, Itokin Road, Ikorodu, said.
In her response, Karimut said the allegations by her husband were false.
She said although her husband did not care well enough for her and their children, she did not want to divorce him.
Karimat told the court that the petitioner usually slept around with other women and always threatened to chase her and the children away for no good reason.
“My husband is not a reasonable man and he’s a very inconsiderate person,’’ she said.
NAN reports that the children of the petitioner were four males and three females.
The oldest male child is 39 years old; the oldest female is 36 years, while the youngest is a 16-year-old girl.
In her ruling, the President of the court, Mrs. Omolara Abiola, said the court would do everything within its power to save the marriage.
She said, “This court is more focused on saving marriages. And it behoves on us to try to secure this union rather than dissolve a marriage of such age, with seven children, most of whom are above 30.’’
Abiola, therefore, urged the petitioner and the respondent to “maintain peace and harmony, pending the determination of the case”.
The court president added that Karimat should not ignore her husband as such “action usually infuriates men’’.
Abiola adjourned the case till March 22, 2016, for further mediation and ordered that some of the children of the couple should be present at the hearing.