A 37-year-old finance manager with Premier Lotto Ltd, Louisa Bamidele, on Friday pleaded with an Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her nine-year-old marriage, citing her husband’s deception.
Louisa, an indigene of Lantang in Plateau and mother of two, resides at No. 10, Kayode Odushola St., Ikosi GRA, Lagos.
“My husband is irresponsible, he is a wife beater and he does not care for me and the children.
“He has never paid a dime for our feeding and clothing,” she told the court.
The petitioner claimed that for the past eight years they had been living together before she finally moved out, she was responsible for the house rent.
According to her, the husband, Emmanuel, has been threatening her life and using force to collect money from her.
Louisa, who said she could no longer stand her estranged husband’s duplicity, added:“he has turned me into a punching bag since the conception of our first child.
“He lied to me from inception that he was single which was why l agreed to marry him but I recently found out that he is legally married with children.
“I discovered he has another family when we wanted to travel out of the country for summer which he vehemently denied.
“I reported him to the church authorities because he is a deacon.”
She told the court that life had become miserable for her since he married Emmanuel.
“He stole my gold jewellery and car and sold them off without my consent and still did not show any form of remorse for his actions.”
Louisa pleaded with the court to separate them as she was no longer interested in the union.
“l can no longer bear the pains of battering and lies; l have become depressed … now I can’t sleep without taking sleeping pills,’’ she also told the court fighting back tears.
“I want full custody of my children, and I want a restraining order of this court against the respondent.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the respondent, Emmanuel, who was not present in court, sent his lawyer and asked the court to proceed with the dissolution of the marriage with or without him.
The court’s President, Mr Philip Williams, adjourned the case until April 28 for judgment. (NAN)