My husband’s extramarital affair collapsed his church, wife tells court

A petty trader, Juliana Aquila, on Tuesday told a Nyanya Customary Court in Abuja that her husband’s extramarital affairs led to the collapse of his church.

Juliana, the respondent, said this when she testified in a divorce petition filed against her by her husband, Abba.

"I m not the reason why my husband’s church closed down as my husband alleges; it was his extramarital affair with a woman called Rosemary that led to the collapse of his church.

"In 2015, my husband relocated from Minna where we resided, to Abuja and was cohabiting with his girlfriend, Rosemary, who specialises in Gwangwape traditional dance.

"Because of this relationship, my husband confiscated our marriage certificate and filed for divorce in the customary court, without my knowledge,’’ she said.

The respondent also denied her husband’s allegation of being possessed by an evil spirit, which he claims, makes him unsuccessful.

"If my husband is sure that I am possessed by evil spirit, let him provide proof to that effect,’’ she said. She denied ever having a relationship with or being impregnated by another man.

"If my husband claims that our son, Jerry, is a product of my relationship with another man and not his, why then is he demanding custody of the same child?’’

Juliana also denied breaking her husband’s heart as he alleged, claiming rather that it was her husband that broke hers.

"My husband has been maintaining one extramarital relationship or another; at the moment, he is cohabiting with one Paulina, who sometime in 2009, divorced her own husband.

"My husband assisted this woman through the divorce process in court. After Paulina’s divorce, my husband transferred the incorporation document of the church to his name alone.

"My husband and Paulina are now overseeing a church called Kingdom Power Deliverance Ministry in Masaka and he is bent on having our marriage dissolved.

"He wants to dissolve our marriage, which has been blessed with wonderful children, in order to be free to marry Paulina,’’ Juliana, who had become emotional, said.

She begged the court to save her marriage by not granting her husband’s prayers. The president of the court, Mr Everyman Eleanya, advised the couple to consider out-of-court settlement, and adjourned further hearing in the case till June 2.