Lagos  – A Grade ‘A’ Customary Court on  Lagos Island on Wednesday dissolved the 23-year-old marriage of Abiodun Obi, Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ajah branch.

The estranged wife, Shakirat, had on March 21 filed a suit for the dissolution of the union, citing lack of care and constant battering.

After listening to both sides, the President of the court, Mrs Sobowale Siffre said it had been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the marriage between the parties had broken down irreconcilably.

“Since marriage is a union of two parties and in a situation that one of the parties decides to opt out irreconcilably, the court has no option than to dissolve the marriage,” she said.

Siffre ordered Obi to be paying– through the court– N12,000 monthly as upkeep allowance for the children to Shakirat.

The court also awarded the custody of the three children of the marriage aged 10, eight and four years to the petitioner.

Addressing the court, Shakirat, a trader, blamed her misfortune on her failure to secure the consent of her parents before marrying Obi.

“I have learnt to respect the word of the elders in the hard way,’’ she said, noting that her former husband was very caring and loving initially, but changed immediately he became the union chairman.

“Immediately he was elected chairman, he started coming home late, sometimes as late as 1a.m. or 2 a.m. and any attempt to demand for explanation would result in serious beating.

“I do not want to lose my life; I still want to be the mother of my children; I am no longer interested in the marriage,” Shakirat told the court.

In his defence, Obi, who acknowledged that he married Shakirat against the wish of her parents, however, denied beating her.

He said it was because of the love he had for her that made him to renounce his membership of a cult immediately they got married.

“I still love her, but since she had refused to yield to pressures from important personalities who had intervened, I am leaving the case at the discretion of the court,’’ Obi said. (NAN)