Arabic teacher sobs as court dissolves his 8-year-old marriage

“We will not allow you as husband and wife to destroy the future of your innocent children through your unbridled violence and hooliganism, this eight-year-old marriage is hereby dissolved, ” an Ibadan Customary Court sitting on Mapo Hill ruled on Monday.

Mr Ademola Odunade, the President of the court, said the union between Sule Olayiwola, an Arabic teacher, and his wife, Omolara, was dissolved on grounds of threat to life, battery and lack of care.

He said: “Since Omolara and Sule have chosen to live like rat and cat, we will not allow them to destroy the future of their innocent children.

“The marriage is hereby dissolved and the custody of the four children produced by the union is hereby awarded to their mother, Omolara.

“Sule shall pay a monthly feeding allowance of N10, 000 for the upkeep of the children and also be responsible for their education and other welfare matters.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sule wept profusely when the court refused to grant him the custody of the children and vented his anger on his elder sister outside the courtroom.

He descended on her, slapping and punching her for daring to tell the court that both Sule and Omolara were troublemakers, who had refused to let peace reign.

It, however, took the intervention of security personnel in the court premises to restore order and free the sister.

Earlier, Omolara, a trader and mother of four, had told the court that her estranged husband had been threatening her life.

“I never thought that I was bargaining for constant punches, slaps, hunger and thirst in the union I embarked on with Sule.

“He has turned me into a punching bag and as if that is not enough, Sule has exposed the four innocent children and I tounbearable hunger.

“We suffered all sorts — maltreatment, emotional, physical and psychological trauma; Sule did not even cater for our children’s education,” Omolara said.

Sule also agreed to the dissolution of the marriage, but urged the court to award the custody of the children to him.

Sule, who earned his living as an Arabic teacher, told the court that his wife is a “devil incarnate and a jealousy woman”.

“Omolara has never seen anything good in me for reasons, she is troublesome as she keeps blackmailing me around the town.

“I established a business for her, but she wasted both the capital and the profit and contrary to her claims, I have always catered for her and the children,” Sule said.