A Grade II Customary court in Effurun, Uvwie local government area of Delta State, has ended a 24-year-old marriage, after 42-year-old wife raised the alarm over battering, violent behavior and vitriolic temper of her husband.
“Please separate us, before he will kill me, and grant me the custody of our three children,” Mrs Ese Akpronor told the court, which was presided over by Chief Umokoro Akpormedaye.
She told the court that her husband, Mr Obukowho Peter, took pleasure in battering and had stopped caring for the family.
Ese, who apparently married her estranged husband when she was 18, accused him of “battery, violent behavior, quick provocation and lack of care and attention” for her and her children from the marriage.
She insisted that she could no longer tolerate the attitude of the husband, who she was married with for 24 years old and blessed with three beautiful children, aged 20, 15, 12 years.
“My husband is very violent by nature and is fond of beating me. He used to fight me and give me merciless beating of my life. There was a day he beat me to the point of coma and neighbours came to rescue me from his hand.
“I believe he does not love me anymore, that is the reason he is acting like that.
The husband (Mr. Obukowho) did not appear, in spite of several summons from the Court.
The Court President Chief Umokoro Akpormedaye, in his judgment, dissolved the marriage, saying that all attempts at reconciling the couple proved abortive.
The President referred the plaintiff to the welfare department of the state to decide who the children should live with.
Umukoro said that the dissolution document would be sent to Mr. Obukowho to let him know the decision of the court.