A trader, Wuraola Rufai, has told a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, that her husband, Lasisi , deceived her into marriage to enable him  obtain a work permit as a saw miller in Ile-Ife.
She stated this on Tuesday while testifying before the court, in a suit filed against her by estranged husband. Wuraola, a mother of three told the court that Lasisi had promised to marry her 19 years ago if she could assist him secure her father’s hammer which would be a permit of sorts for a non-indigene of Ile-Ife to work as a saw miller or timber dealer in the town.
“Based on Lasisi’s promise to fully marry me if I’m able to get him my father’s hammer, which he would have ordinarily hired for N25,000 anytime he needs it, I convinced my father and we gave him the hammer free of charge.
“Aside from living in my father’s house and impregnating me there, Lasisi became so prosperous in his sawmill business and he built a house. We joined him in his house and he soon started accusing me of sleeping about with men and wearing provocative dresses.
Not only did Lasisi beat me, he also refused to cater for the needs of our last child as well as mine. When the problem became unbearable for me, I left Ile-Ife for Ibadan to operate a beer joint”, Wuraola said.
Earlier in his submission, Lasisi said he had been forced out of timber dealing in Ile-Ife due to his wife’s promiscuity, lamenting that she had impacted negative on the last child of the union by teaching him all sorts of immoralities.
“Anytime I return home from my business trips, neighbours used to update me with various accounts of her adulterous behaviours and I waited until I caught her red-handed with a man. Her father even went as far as reporting me to the palace of the Ooni of Ife while my father-in-law’s hammer and the license to operate as a timber dealer were withdrawn from me.
“My lord, you can investigate my claims by inviting the Director of Forest Reserve in Osun. Moreover, my father in-law often arrested me with the police anytime there was a minor problem between his daughter and I. These and many more are the reasons why I left Ile-Ife for Ore in Ondo State,”Lasisi said.
The President of the court, Chief Henry Agbaje consequently, dissolved the marriage and awarded custody of the first two children produced by the union to the complainant and the last child to the respondent.
He directed Lasisi to provide N7, 500 as the child’s monthly feeding allowance and N18, 000 for his school fees per term, in addition to being responsible for his education and other needs.
