An Ikeja Magistrate’s court in Lagos State was turned into a battle ground when a man, Olufemi Ogbiyele, engaged his wife, Bola Ogbiyele, in a fight.
The incident, which caused a lot of confusion inside the court premises, started when a friend of the couple pleaded with the husband to settle their case out of court but the plea fell on the latter’s deaf ears.
Olufemi instead grabbed his wife, descended on her and dealt blows on her to the surprise of everyone present.
Reacting to the incident, counsel to the wife, Mr Shittu Oladeyinde, said, “I’m aware that a friend called them to settle their differences out of court. This appeal infuriated Olufemi who flared up, pounced on his wife and beat her up.’’
According to Oladeyinde, “the couple’s problem started on February 11, 2013 when the woman locked herself up in the children’s room after her husband had beaten her. She later left for her mother’s house.”
The counsel further disclosed that “another lawyer, Mr Taiwo and a pastor met with the husband, asking him to resolve the matter amicably. Olufemi agreed to do so on the condition that his wife stopped working, but Bola objected to this.
“It was after this meeting that he sent a text message to his wife, asking her to prepare her lawyers for a divorce,” he said.
While giving his side of the story, Olufemi told the court that his wife slept with different men when she travelled to the United Kingdom in March 2012.
He further stated that on February 12, 2013, she slapped him when he accused her of stealing his property and even sought the help of one of her lovers who beat him for bringing up such an allegation against her.
In response to the allegations levelled against the man, the second counsel to the wife, Akin Aroyewo, stated that, “In the first place, she didn’t abscond from her matrimonial home on September 1, she rather ran for her dear life when the husband wanted to kill her by hitting her with an iron belt.
“Olufemi is frivolous and temperamental. And these he has shown by abusing court proceedings,” he added.