Six-Year-Old Marriage Dissolved Over Character Defamation And Attempted Murder

A six-year-old marriage has been dissolved in Ibadan by the Ile-Tuntun Customary Court.

The couple, Monsuru Adebayo and his estranged wife, Nafisat, had their marriage dissolved over defamation of character and attempted murder.

The President of the court, Chief Henry Agbaje, held that the court would not allow any situation that might lead to bloodshed, hence their need for the dissolution of the union. Agbaje consequently dissolved the union and granted custody of the only child in the marriage to Monsuru, since he had been the one catering for the girl. He also advised the duo to maintain peace as the court would consider any form of molestation by either one of the couples as a criminal offense.

Monsuru had earlier told the court that he did not want to have any further relationship with Nafisat because she had constantly “exposed his life and image to risk and uncertainty”. He further claimed that he was forced to seek refuge outside their home because his life was under threat by his wife’s nefarious activities.

“After Nafisat settled down in my home, she began to show her true color and she has refused to take to people’s corrections and counsel to be of good behavior. “Only three weeks ago, Nafisat brandished a knife and was aiming at my stomach before I managed to escape from the room.

“That was the reason why I took refuge at a location unknown to her, and it was not the first time she had threatened my life. “Before this time, Nafisat hacked into my Facebook account, posting a series of defamatory messages that are capable of destroying me and sending me to jail.”

“I closed that particular account, but she opened another one with my mobile phone number which she is still using to date to tarnish my image. “Worse still, she has packed away all my property from the apartment to an unknown location,” Monsuru said.

Nafisat, who consented to the decision of the court, however, denied most of the allegations leveled against her. She claimed that her husband derived pleasure in beating her always, adding;

“Monsuru is not a responsible man and I do not know why he does not stay at home.”