A 38-year-old woman, Mutiat Kilanko, on Thursday pleaded with an Orile Agege Customary Court, Lagos, to dissolve her 15-year- old marriage, accusing her husband of infidelity and battery. The petitioner, who lives at No. 3, Pipeline St., Ile-Epo, Abule-Egba Road, Lagos, urged the court to dissolve her marriage to Oduyemi Kilanko. She told the court that, she discovered that her husband has two other wives apart from her and upon confronting him for the truth, he beat her up. She also said that her husband was not providing for the upkeep of the family but was always demanding for food.

“I got to know that he has two wives outside and the day I asked him, he beat me up. He beats me as if he is in a competition and has extended the beating to our children. Our first born had hearing defect for a long time, as a result of her father’s incessant beating.” The mother of two girls, aged 14 and 7, said that her husband brought home one of his girlfriends to the house without any respect or regard to her feeling.

“He drinks to stupor and had beaten me in the presence of my mother.” She said that the matter had affected her health wise and she had to be placed on drugs for two years. “I am tired of the relationship; I want a divorce, ” she said. The respondent, a 42-year-old politician, who lives at 6 James Giwa Close, Ile-Epo, Abule- Egba Road, denied the petitioner’s claims. “Our fight started when she started sneaking to church without my consent; I was surprised when she packed out of the house because we were on good terms then.

“I am not a drunkard neither am I a womaniser, but I have a girlfriend. I still love Mutiat and I want the court to assist in solving the issues we had,” he said. The Court President, Dr Kayode Whenu, admonished the couple to maintain the peace, and adjourned the case to Feb. 25 for further hearing.