By Robert AKPAN, Senior Investigator, Lagos.
IT was accusation and counter-accusation Wednesday at an Igando Customary Court after a Pastor who gave his name as pastor, Joshua Ibeneme sought the dissolution of his 21 year marriage to Mrs. Uzoamaka Ibeneme; accusing her of barefaced promiscuity. He described his wife as a shameless dog who sleeps with two senior members of his church at will. According to him, the marriage which was blessed with three children had become nightmarish and devoid of love since his wife started dating members of his church. Added to his prayers were that his children no longer respect him as their father; fearing that if his wife was allowed continued stay with him, his ministry might go down the drain. He therefore, prayed the court to end the relationship without further delay. “My wife is worse than a dog; she had sexual affairs with two senior members of my church; a deacon and a bishop. The painful aspect of this is that these men who had respect for me now mock me with it. They tell me to my face that they had sexual intercourse with my wife because she enticed them at different occasions. But me, I the husband have not had sex with for the past five years. Each time I demanded sex, she gives different inexcusable reason; fueling my suspicion that she was actually dating those men. For the past five years she has not been sleeping in my bedroom and you want me to continue with such relationship?” The 53 year old cleric claimed each time he was out of town, one of his children who still has some measure of regard for him as a father told him that “Deacon always pick mummy in the afternoon and drops her at night whenever you traveled. Even Bishop does the same but he buys us gifts whenever he took mummy out. God has even revealed to me that if continue with the relationship, my ministry would crash.”
But in her counter accusation, Mrs. Uzoamaka who though was opposed to the dissolution of the marriage, told the court and the bewildered audience that it was her husband that sleeps with female members who come for counseling. She denied having sex with the two members of the church as claimed by her husband adding that it was the men that was busy lying to members that they slept with me. They are just saying all these to tarnish my name and end my marriage. I still love my husband. All the quarrels we have had were because of his clones with the female members of our church; he dates them. When he come back home, he would no longer be interest to sleep with me. I can say authoritatively that my husband is sleeping with the wife of the Deacon of the church. “
However, in an emotion laden voice, the 45 year old mother of three however, begged the court not to yield to his husband prayer for dissolution saying that she was still in love with him. “I don’t want to be party to a broken home, what would happen to my children? Please my Lord I still love him, I do not want divorce,” she pleaded.
The President of the court, Mr. Akin Akiniyin therefore, adjourned to May 10, 2018 for Judgment urging the couple maintain status-quo ante.