Court dissolves pastor's 18-year-old marriage over infidelity

(Nigeria) An Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Wednesday dissolved the 18-year-old marriage of Pastor Chris Maku and Augusta, on grounds of infidelity.

Maku, 45, told the court that his estranged wife, Augusta, slept with her lover in their matrimonial home, got pregnant and thereafter packed out of the house.

The Court President, Mr Rasak Adeyeri, said that all efforts to reconcile both parties had proved futile because the Augusta refused to show up in the court after three summon were served on her.

"It is therefore assumed that she too is no longer interested in the union again. The court has no choice than to dissolve the union, the couple is free to live their lives and they should maintain peace,’’ Adeyeri ruled.

Maku had filed the suit and sought the dissolution of his marriage to Augusta on the grounds that there was no longer mutual love in the relationship.

``I don’t love her anymore because she slept with an Okada man in my house, got pregnant and then packed out to start living with the Okada man, he said.

Maku said that since the crisis started, his wife, with whom he had two children, started ``picking fights’’ with him on a daily basis and also brought strange men into their home.

``They come to my house at about 11p.m. There was a day I had to interrogate a man that she brought home but she introduced him to me as her pastor.”

The petitioner said that one day his wife brought a commercial motorcyclist to his house, introduced him as someone that would assist to convey their children to and from school.

Maku said that the rider took his children to school in the morning and brought them back in the afternoon, and thereafter would then take his wife out.

He said that these happened on three consecutive occasions, after which she slept over the fourth time.