A man on Wednesday approached the Igando Customary Court, Lagos State to annul his three-year-old marriage over his wife’s stealing habit.
Tairu Jimoh, 56, said that his wife, Esther, with whom he had two children in their marriage had penchant for stealing.
“My wife steals my money on regular basis and because of her love for stealing, I no longer keep money at home.
“She stole my cooking gas and also my land documents,” he said.
The petitioner said that it was not his wish to marry his wife initially, adding that it was because she told him that God revealed to her that he was her husband.
“My wife deceived me into marrying her, she told me that God revealed to her that I am her husband and I believed her,” the estranged husband said.
He added that Esther does not care for him, and she had vowed never to cook for him.
“The last time my wife gave me food was 18-months ago, in spite that I regularly dropped money for food, I still buy food outside to eat,” he alleged.
According to him, Esther always striped herself to swear for him and those curses are beginning to affect his life.
He said that his wife always defamed his character by telling people that he killed their child and that he also stole his company’s money.
He begged the court to dissolve the marriage that he does not love her anymore.
Esther, 35, and a teacher, however, denied all the allegations levelled against her by her husband. She described her husband as a stingy fellow.
“My husband is a tight-fisted man, he keeps money inside his cap and wears it and uses broom to remove it whenever he wanted to buy something.
“How will I even steal the money I did not see?
“Tairu is an irresponsible husband and father, he starves me and the children of money, I am the one responsible for their feeding and school fees.
“Tairu gave me his land documents when he was still toasting me, I never stole it,” she said.
The mother of two said that her husband proposed to her when she went to him to get an accommodation.
“When I was looking for an apartment, a church member directed me to my husband who is an estate agent.
“When I approached him, he started toasting me and later proposed, he told me that he wanted to delete poverty from my life and I accepted but he never did.
“He was the one that went to my house to pack my load to his house and we started living as husband and wife, no introduction, no dowry was paid,” she said.
According to her, Tairu denied the paternity of her second child without a reasonable cause.
The respondent said that her husband chased away her benefactors claiming that they were witches.
She urged the court not to grant his wish for dissolution that she was still in love with him.
The President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola ordered both parties to attend the Alternative Resolution Dispute (ADR) with three of their family members.
He then adjourned the case until March 28 for further hearing.
