A Lagos Island Customary Court, presided over by Mr. Awos Awoshola has mandated a couple seeking for the dissolution of their 20 year old marriage, to break an oath taken, before divorce can be granted. The court president gave the stern warning on Tuesday, when 44 year old Susan accused her husband, Folarin Lijadu, 47 year old, of trying to dump her for their neighbour, who she claimed was pregnant for him, and vowed to resist the divorce except her husband revokes the spell he had placed on her. Recounting her ordeal, Susan revealed that trouble started when her husband became blind from injuries he sustained when he had an auto accident sometime in 2000. She alleged that he had become jealous, suicidal and aggressive. The mother of four children said her husband had three years ago, ordered her to buy a cockerel, three colanuts, bittercola and alligator pepper, and was asked to strip naked in the presence of one herbalist from Ondo State. She was also made to swear that no other man will ever have sex with her or see her naked except my husband, and all the items were purportedly buried in a hole dug in front of their room. Susan told the court that her husband, who did not make the same covenant with her, had now impregnated one of their tenants and wants to divorce her. Folarin, on his part, denied forcing his wife to swear an oath, adding that she was the one who urged him to make her take the oath and that he did not swear with her. He had approached the court in April, seeking to dissolve his 20-year-old marriage for alleged lack of trust and love. Mr. Awoshola ordered both parties to maintain peace and adjourned the case till May 24 for further hearing.
