A school proprietor, Mr Ismail Adeniji, on Monday told an Oshodi Customary Court in Lagos that his second wife abandoned their son when he was 15 months old, for another marriage.
Adeniji, in a petition before the court, is asking for the dissolution of the marriage and an order granting him custody of the child.
In his testimony, Adeniji alleged that his wife, Abibat, had become pregnant for the other man while still married to him.
Shedding light on their relationship, he said that he and Abibat had been separated for two years.
“It was my first wife who introduced Abibat to me as a second wife because I had to travel for a programme and I needed to be with a woman.
“I met Abibat`s father, who gave us a list of what to bring and a sum of N100, 000 as bride price. I told him that I could only afford N30, 000 and promised to return on another date, “ he said.
The petitioner said that before he returned to perform the marriage rites, Abibat became pregnant for him.
“When I went back on the appointed date, a quarrel ensued as my in-laws insisted on N100, 000 as bride price and refused to collect the N30, 000. They also said that the clothes I brought were inferior.
“They allowed Abibat go home with me because she was pregnant but a few weeks later, her mother brought in the police to arrest me, alleging that I stole her daughter,“ he said.
According to him, the police settled the matter and her parents took her away, while his relations warned him against continuing with the marriage.
He told the court that Abibat eventually delivered a baby boy at her parents place.
“I named him and when the baby was 15 months old, she abandoned him and got married to another man.
“My son has been staying with Abibat`s mother and she takes him to Ijora market where she sells pap and Akara (bean cake), “Adeniji said.
He told the court that his in-laws had refused to grant him custody of his son, which he had requested to enable him enrol the child in school and take proper care of him.
The petitioner said he filed the suit following the attitude of his in-laws.
Abibat, the respondent, who informed the court that she was six months pregnant, urged the court to go ahead with the dissolution as she was already married to another man who also was present in court.
Her father, who was also in court, confirmed that he took his daughter from Adeniyi because he could not pay their traditional N100, 000 bride price.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the couple, who reside at 5, Olatubi St., Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, got married in 2010 and have the boy, who is now two years old, as the only child of the marriage.
The judge, Mrs R.I. Adetola, after listening to both parties, said it was clear that the marriage had broken down completely.
She ordered that Abibat`s mother should come to court with the child on the next hearing date and adjourned till July 18.
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