A housewife and mother of eight, Mrs. Halimatu, has lost her 40-year marriage for starving her husband of sex.
A Customary Court in Lagos yesterday, granted the husband, MrGaniyu, his request for dissolution of the marriage.
Our correspondent reports that the plaintiff, an Islamic cleric, had earlier filed for divorce on the grounds that his wife had denied him sex.
“My wife, who sleeps, eats my food and drinks my water, has been starving me of sex for 16 years now.
“She will not even allow me to touch or make love to her,’’ he said.
According to the 59-year-old man, his marriage to Halimatu has been turbulent and fraught with fights and quarrels.
He explained that this did not allow him to have peace of mind.
The petitioner alleged that his wife had, at a time, threatened to kill him.
He said, “Another cleric who lives with me told me that my wife was after my life; that she gave him charms to put in my food.
“There was a day she wanted to stab me with a broken bottle but for the quick intervention of my friend who entered at that time and collected the bottle from her.”
The husband further alleged that his wife turned their children against him, alleging that she once ordered their firstborn to beat him up.
“My son beat me up mercilessly and tore my clothes, with my wife’s consent,’’ he said.
The plaintiff said that his wife, Halimatu, gave out their daughters in marriage without his knowledge and consent, saying that he had never met any of his sons-in-law.
He said that his wife was after the property he inherited from his late father.
“My father’s property belongs to me alone. My wife and children cannot inherit my father’s property but can only inherit my own property.
“My wife is fighting to take over my father’s property from me, claiming it belongs to her and the children.
“I later bought land in her name so that she and the children can have that as their inheritance; but she went to the landowners, begging them to sell the land and give her the money,’’ he said.