Dayo Akingbade, a commercial biker, requested the dissolution of his marriage with his wife, Dapo on the grounds of adultery at an Ibadan Mapo Grade A Customary Court.
Akingbade argued that Dapo cannot control her desire for infidelity in response to his wife’s accusation that he is irresponsible.
He said, ”My lord, the real reason Dapo left my home is because of her adulterous lifestyle.
“After a series of complaints about the fact that she was bringing different men to my house, Dapo’s mother assisted her to move her things out of my apartment.
“My total daily income is N3,000 as an Okada rider, so I might not be able to afford N30,000 monthly feeding allowance for the children.
“Besides, I have remarried since she left my home over a year ago.”
Dapo, who is a fashion designer, had earlier informed the court that she had filed the lawsuit because she was no longer interested in continuing as Akingbade’s wife.
She said, ”He never paid any bride price for my hand in marriage.”
The court’s president, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, gave a ruling, stating that there was no marriage to dissolve as the petitioner and respondent were not legally married.
According to Akintayo, a bride price must be paid, the couple must be legally able to marry, present gifts, and officially hand over the bride before any marriage can be recognized as a customary marriage under Nigerian law.
According to the facts presented by them during testimony, she said, none of the aforementioned factors were present in the union between Dapo and Akingbade.
Akintayo also ordered Akingbade to pay N30,000 as the children’s monthly feeding allowance, which must be paid to the court’s registrar on or before the last day of every month, starting in January 2023. Dapo was given custody of the three children the pair had produced.
The court’s president issued an order prohibiting Akingbade from harassing, molesting, or meddling with Dapo’s private life.
She further instructed them to share responsibility for the children’s well-being, including their schooling.
Akintayo additionally instructed the petitioner to never obstruct the respondent’s access to the children.