13th September, 2012
An Agege Customary Court in Lagos on Wednesday dissolved a 19-year-old marriage between a businessman, Michael Shuaibu, 52, and his wife, Nancy, a Nollywood actress.
The President of the Court, Mr Emmanuel Sokunle, held that the union had broken down irretrievably.
“Starting from today you cease to be husband and wife and the custody of the children remains with their father.
“You shall go your separate ways and maintain the peace anywhere you see each other. The children are free to visit their mother whenever they feel like,” Sokunle held.
Shuaibu, who reside at 4, Moses Emeye Close, Oko-Oba, Agege, had petitioned the court on March 13, seeking dissolution of the marriage.
“I married Nancy, my wife in 1993 and the union was smooth until she joined the acting group and she started misbehaving.
“I have been a responsible father to our three children, aged between 13 and 19 years and a good husband to Nancy.
“If I had known that acting would change her ways and manners negatively, I would not have allowed her in the first place,” he said.
He also alleged that Nancy on several occasions, packed out of the house and when he tried to question her movements, she fought him.
“Nancy goes out of the house under the pretence that she is going on location and comes back two weeks later.
“At first, she used to give me the address of the location they were using but after she started her adulterous ways, she stopped giving me the address.
“She confessed to me that she was having an affair outside and promised to stop it, which she failed to do.
“I closed my eyes to the things I saw and heard about her because of the love I have for her and the children.”
The father of three said that efforts made to bring back Nancy, who finally moved out of the house in July 2011, leaving the children behind, proved abortive.
He had asked the court to grant him custody of the children, whom he had trained without their mother for more than a year now.
Nancy had not appeared in court since the case started.