Romoke W. Ahmad
9 November 2009
Abuja — An Abuja Upper Area Court recently informed a man who filed a divorce petition against his female lover that they can both go their separate ways as they are not legally married.
Judge Hamza Yahaya Gashua gave the ruling after listening to both parties on the reasons why the petition was filed.
The petitioner, Idris Yakubu Abutu told the court that he has been staying with Christiania for three years and they are blessed with two children.
He said right from the day his lover came into his house, he has not known peace, adding that she fights him at the slightest provocation even when the issue does not warrant fighting.
"She flares up and doesn't care whether people are watching and I am tired of staying under the same roof with her," Abutu stated.
According to him, he was forced to file the petition because his in-laws did not help matters.
"My mother-in-law recently came to my office and fought me as well as tore my cloth in the presence of my colleagues because of a little misunderstanding I had with my wife," he said.
In her response, Christiana told the court that she was surprised about the divorce petition filed by her husband as there was never a marriage contract between both of them.
The judge then inquired from the petitioner whether he paid dowry on Christiania and he said he paid part in the presence of a witness.
The witness however refuted the claim and said the N3,000 given to Christiania's father was not for dowry, while the father called the petitioner an ingrate and pleaded that the court separates the marriage.
The father informed the court that he could have gotten the petitioner arrested for bringing disgrace to his family and threatened to sue him so that he pays damages for destroying his daughter's life.
After listening to parties and their witnesses, the judge ruled that the lady should remove her belongings from Idris's house as there was no marriage between them to warrant a divorce.
The judged ordered the petitioner to pay N4,000 monthly as feeding allowance to Christiana as well as to take responsibilities of his children's upkeep until they are old enough for him to claim them.
Judge Gashua also advised both parties to have a rethink about their actions and the effect it will have on their children, adding that if they are interested in the relationship, the man should pay dowry so as to have legal right on his wife.
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