Man Seeks Divorce Over Wife’s Refusal To Quit Job

A 46-year old man, Isa Bayero, on Monday asked the Grade 1 Area Court in Lugbe, Abuja, to dissolve his five-year old marriage because of his wife’s refusal to resign her teaching job.

Bayero also urged the court to grant him custody of their two children, adding that his wife was disrespectful and was planning to take his life.

He also claimed that his wife was taking advantage of being in employment to go out of the house at will and that she had refused to comply with his directive on the issue.

The wife, Hannatu Bayero, 35, told the court that she wanted her husband’s divorce wish granted, but requested custody of their two kids, aged three years and 11 months each.

She vowed never to quit her teaching job with an Islamic school, adding that she would rather quit the marriage than leave the job.

“I told him that he had 21 children from the three other wives and I have been using my monthly stipends to take care of my own kids without disturbing him so I should not resign,’’ she said.

Hannatu denied her husband’s claim that she wanted to take his life.

She explained that Bayero had threatened to kill anybody who came near her even after they were divorced.

The presiding Judge, Haruna Masanawa asked how much Bayero could afford to give his wife monthly for the upkeep of his children, to which he said he could only afford N3,000.

He said he could not give his wife more than N3,000 monthly

Masanawa adjourned the case to 17 December, for ruling.