Pastor’s 30-Year Marriage Dissolved Over Sexual Dispute.
A 30-year marriage between Pastor Olamide Agbejaife and his estranged wife, Mary, was dissolved by a Mapo Grade A Customary Court sitting in Ibadan on Friday, following frequent claims of sexual denial and accusations of food poisoning.
According to reports, Agbejaife, a resident of Olodo in Ibadan, told the court that his wife’s behavior took a negative turn after he received a revelation in 2017 that he would marry another wife.
He claimed that since then, Mary had stopped engaging in sexual intimacy with him and had even attempted to poison him.
“On December 6, 2021, I suffered a severe stomach upset after eating food given to me by Mary,” Agbejaife said. He also mentioned that she had cursed him on several occasions without reason.
“After our first child was born in 1995, she began leaving our home without permission, often without providing any explanation. In fact, when I underwent surgery in 2022, Mary abandoned me for 14 months and only returned later.”
Agbejaife revealed that Mary had even told someone that he had died after an incident involving poisoning.
In her response, Mary, a trader, pleaded with the court not to terminate their 30-year relationship, expressing her desire to enjoy the fruits of their labor and the children they had together.
“Agbejaife was the one who stopped having sexual intimacy with me and even moved out of the house,” Mary said in her defense. “We have never had any physical fights, although we did quarrel occasionally.”
While delivering the judgment, the court’s President, Mrs. O.E. Owoseni, ruled that Agbejaife and Mary were free to go their separate ways, as Mary was no longer interested in the relationship.
Owoseni pointed out that the union was not a valid customary marriage in the first place because the petitioner, Agbejaife, had not paid the bride price to the respondent.
Citing various sections of the law, the court held that there was no evidence provided by either party to indicate that a dowry had been paid. “This is a fundamental requirement for a valid customary marriage in Nigeria,” she stated.
The court also struck out Agbejaife’s request to restrain Mary from harassing, threatening, or interfering with his private life, as he did not provide sufficient evidence to support his claims. (NAN)
