Mrs Cecilia Ajayi, 42, on Thursday pleaded with an Igando Customary Court in Lagos State to dissolve her 20 years’ marriage with her husband, John Ajayi, aged 46.
Cecilia, the petitioner, accused Ajayi, the defendant, of being a womanizer.
“My husband is a womaniser, he is dating four girls in our street and brings them into our matrimonial home. “On many occasions, he and his lovers had beaten me up whenever I prevented them from entering our room.
“He was not satisfied with his lovers, as he severally made attempts to rape my younger sister,’’ the wife told the court on Thursday. She also accused John whom she bore three children of being a consumer of excessive alcohol.
Cecilia said, “John is a drunk. After drinking to stupor, he will be falling inside gutter, talking in an incoherent manner.” She also claimed that her husband sent her packing because she was not educated, saying, “ he can no longer cope with illiterate.”
The wife said that John refused to leave his family house since they got married in 1996. On three occasions, I was attacked by John’s family members over inheritance, she said. “My husband’s family wanted to kill me; they said that I was the one preventing my husband from sharing his late father’s property.
“John always said that he could not relocate from his family house,” Cecilia said. She urged the court to end the marriage, saying that she was no longer interested in the affair because her life was no longer safe. The petitioner, John Ajayi (46) , however, denied the allegations, saying that his wife ran away with a man because he lost his job and no longer financially buoyant.
“Things were moving on fine until I lost my job and her behaviour changed, she packed out to live with another man. “She even gave birth to her new lover two months ago,’’ the author said.
The respondent said that he could not leave his family house because he was the only son in the family. John, therefore, begged the court not to grant his wife’s wish adding that he was still in love with her. The President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, after listening to the couple, adjourned the case to Sept. 27, his for judgment.
