Husband, 42, seeks divorce over wife's abandonment

                                                 
A 42-year-old man, Joseph Ehiwere, on Friday asked an Ojo Customary Court to dissolve his marriage to his wife, Nkem, over alleged abandonment.

Joseph told the court that Nkem had moved out of their matrimonial home without notice or his consent.

"The wife, on whom I paid dowry, and married in our traditional manner, just one day, woke up and decided to abandon the marriage.

"She must have planned this act for a long time because I returned from work to find out that she had left the house with all her belongings," he said.

Joseph told the court that his wife frequently fought him and members of his family.

"My wife became disrespectful to my friends and family members, creates unnecessary problems in the home, maybe because she has not given me a child.

"I cannot continue to live as a bachelor, since she decided to abscond, we should go our separate ways because I no longer love her and would need to go ahead with my life.

"And so, I pray for the dissolution of the marriage," he said.

The wife, however, was absent in court.

The Acting President of the Court, Chief Joseph Ogunmola, advised the husband to find out where the wife stays, to enable the court issue her with a summon.

"We need your assistance to direct our staff to your wife so that another court summon would be served to her or any family representative," he said.

Ogunmola adjourned the case to Sept. 7, for further hearing.