11th May, 2012
A 40-year old civil servant, Habeeb Idowu, on Thursday told an Oshodi Customary Court that his estranged wife of five years was a serial divorcee, after seeking divorce for the third time.
“She is a serial divorcee as I am her third husband and she has been jumping from one man to another,” Habeeb said of her hairdresser wife, Mutiat.
He said that his estranged wife was a difficult woman who didn’t know what she wanted.
“She is not content with the standard of living I offered her.”
Habeeb pleaded with the court to grant him the custody of their four-year-old son on grounds that his wife lacked moral values.
“I cannot allow my child to grow up with a wayward woman.
“I want to take up responsibility of my child as I want him to be well-trained.”
In her plea for divorce, Mutiat, 35, had earlier told the court that her husband was irresponsible.
“He abandoned me and my child for a long time. He never catered for our needs.”
In his ruling, the Court President, Mrs I.A Olorunnimbe, granted the estranged couple free divorce, saying that it was evident that the couple could no longer remain together, as they had no more love to sustain the marriage.
She granted the custody of the child to the husband on grounds that the petitioner had no stable home and source of income to raise the child.
“The court cannot grant the custody of the child to the mother because she has no home as she lives with her 72-year old mother.
“We cannot allow the old woman to be burdened with the responsibility of another grandchild because she is already taking care of two children belonging to the petitioner.”