Ekiti Court Dissolves 20-Year-Old Marriage Over Irreconcilable Differences

A Customary Court sitting in Ikole-Ekiti, on Tuesday, dissolved a 20-year-old marriage between one Taiwo Olominu and his wife, Ajibike over irreconcilable differences.
The President of the court, Mrs Yemisi Ojo, dissolved the marriage on grounds of stubbornness, hate speeches and constant fighting.
Ojo, who noted that the respondent failed to appear before the court to give her evidence, granted the prayers of the petitioner and pronounced the marriage dissolved.
She ordered both parties to go their separate ways, as they had only been cohabiting and not legally married to each other.
Ojo also ordered the petitioner to vacate the house, being a property jointly-owned by him and the respondent, to allow the woman and the children to continue living there, for peace to reign.
Ojo ordered Olominu to be responsible for the payment of the school fees of the four children produced by the union, while the respondent must take charge of other aspects of maintaining them.
She said the petitioner must make his place of residence known to his children to enable them visit him whenever they so wished.
Ojo ordered both parties to maintain peace with each other, warning that anyone who violated the court order would face the full wrath of the law.
Earlier in his testimony, Olominu, 53, had told the court that his estranged wife was the mother of his four children but that they were not married according to customs and tradition.
Although the petitioner said that they had both been responsible for the upkeep of the children, he, however, stated that he was solely responsible for the payment of their school fees.
He prayed the court to dissolve the marriage with Ajibike, claiming that she was very stubborn, not submissive and lacked respect for him and his family members.
Olominu said he had approached the court about 12 years ago for the dissolution of the union but decided to withdraw the case because of family intervention at the time.
He told the court that he was ready and prepared to vacate the house for his estranged wife and the children, since it was a jointly-owned property, to allow peace to reign.
The respondent did not appear before the court in spite of being served with court summon.
Based on the affidavit of service of court process on the respondent, dated September 24 and her non-appearance, the petitioner was called to give his evidence.