Man secures divorce over battery by wife

(Nigeria) An Orile-Agege Customary Court in Lagos on Wednesday dissolved the three-year-old  marriage of a man who accused his wife of constantly beating him.

The Court President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, granted the petition of 29-year-old  Mr Martins Williams.

Omilola held that there was no love any longer in the union as both parties consented to the dissolution.

 He gave the custody of the only child of the union to the respondent, Aggi.

``The father shall be paying N3,000 through the court for the child’s upkeep. He shall also be responsible for the medical bills and education of the child," he said.

Omilola directed Martins to give Aggi N10,000 as compensation.

Martins, who lives at 14, Oluwalose St., Off Fadeyemi St., Iyana- Ipaja, Lagos, had sought divorce, saying that Aggi beat him at the slightest provocation.

"Anytime, we have a misunderstanding, she hits me with sharp objects; she has destroyed all the electronics at home. Anytime she is angry, I run out of the house because, if I stay, she may stab me,’’ he submitted.

He also told the court that Aggi made him to lose his job.

"Anytime we fight, she locks me up in a room and won't open the door until late in the night. She will collect my phone and send messages to my boss that I can't come to work because I need to sleep. I want the dissolution of the marriage before she kills me," he said.

 Aggi, however, denied the allegations, saying that her Martins was wicked.

She said: ``He starved me when I was pregnant, and refused to care for me and our child after birth.

"The electronics got destroyed during our quarrels. What normally causes our fight is that he wants to marry another wife.’’

She consented to the dissolution of the marriage, saying that she was fed up.