Court Case:We were living in peace until daddy married another wife

The children of a petitioner, Mr Jimoh Ebunoluwa, on Thursday testified against him in a divorce suit, in which he accused their mother of threatening his life. 

The children, Hakeem Jimoh, 28; and Bolu Jimoh, 24, told an Ikorodu Customary Court, Lagos, that their father’s allegations against their mother were false.

 “Our father is not saying the truth; our mother has never, even for once, threatened our father’s life.

“We were living in peace until our daddy married another wife. “Ever since he brought in this second wife, there has been trouble in the house, because our father always supports the younger wife. 

“Our father stopped taking care of us and our younger ones since he brought home a second wife,’’ both of them chorused before the court.

The 53-year-old petitioner, a driver, had alleged that his wife, Modupe, was always engaging him in a fight, each time she erred and was corrected. “She is just too stubborn for me; I can’t cope anymore. My parents have called her severally, but she has always refused to listen to them and is always fighting my younger wife.

“In fact, she has reported me to the police and does not greet me anymore. “I can accept her back in my house only when she apologises to my parents because she is always abusing them.

 “I am fed up with her and don’t love her anymore,’’ the husband, who is seeking the dissolution of the 30-year-old marriage told the court.

In her defence, Modupe, 47, a mother of four, denied all the allegations and prayed the court to help her settle their marital dispute. 

“I have never threatened my husband’s life; he is accusing me wrongly because he wants me out of the house. “The second wife is always abusing me and I will only retaliate; my husband wants to turn me to her slave.

“My husband and my mother-in law are always supporting the second wife, but I have never abused them. “Help me beg him, I don’t want to re-marry at this age,’’ Modupe said. 

The President of the court, Mr Olu Adebiyi, ordered the couple to maintain peace in the house, and to bring family members at the next adjourned date. The case was adjourned till Sept.21 for further hearing.

Vanguard.