A pastor, Idowu Abiola, has successfully divorced his wife, Esther, who accused him of being fetish and using fetish means to induce her into marriage.
An Alimosho Customary Court on Tuesday in Lagos officially dissolved the marriage after the pastor sued for divorce on grounds of defamation of character.
The court president, Alhaja Mumuni, in her judgment said that it was obvious from available testimony and the respondent’s refusal to appear in court that the marriage had hit the rocks.
“Throughout the duration of this case, the respondent refused to honour court processes, therefore, the court has no other choice than to dissolve the marriage.
“The marriage between Idowu Abiola and Esther Abiola is hereby dissolved from today, in accordance with the Lagos State Customary Law, 2013, Cap.19.
“Both parties are no longer husband and wife, they are free to marry any partner of their choice, without any hindrances and molestation,” she said.
The 50-year-old pastor had approached the court seeking an end to his 19-year-old marriage for defamation of character.
“My wife accused me of using “juju’’ to marry her when she saw a fetish object I brought home from a church member with whom I conducted a deliverance session and which I intended to burn.
“She moved out of the house five years ago to an unknown destination, claiming that I married her with a charm.
“I called her family to inform them of her action and they promised to talk to her and plead with her to come back, but up till now she refused to come back, “he said.
Abiola accused his wife, who had failed to appear in court after being summoned many times, of attempting to kidnap their children on two occasions.
“First, she came to the house without my knowledge and absconded with our three children. I received a tip-off from a neighbour, so I rushed down, saw them at a bus-stop and rescued my children.
“After that attempt failed, she went to their school with a bus and a policeman to kidnap the children but the school authority prevented her and called me,” he said.
The pastor said that in January 2010, his daughter gave him a paper she saw on the floor while sweeping stating that his wife would remarry in April 2010.
“Before my wife packed out, I saw the paper in which she wrote that she will remarry by April, she also wrote in that paper the name of the man she will be getting married to.
“I confronted her but she did not deny it, true to her words, by April that same year, she moved out of the house, “he said.
The petitioner presented the paper as evidence to the court.
The father of three said that a week after his wife packed out of the house, she returned to destroy his property.
“My wife damaged my window net and louvers, entered my house, tore all my clothes and all the photographs we took together, including the pictures I snapped with the children,” he said.
He pleaded with the court to dissolve the marriage since he was tired of waiting and would want to move on with his life.