A mother of eight, Halimatu Salami, has lost her 40-year-old marriage
for starving her husband of sex.
An Igando customary court in Lagos on Thursday granted the husband,
Ganiyu Salami’s request for dissolution of the marriage.
Salami, an Islamic cleric, had filed for divorce on the ground that
his wife had not been allowing him to make love to her.
“My wife, who sleeps, eats my food and drinks my water, has been
starving me of sex for 16 years now. She will not even allow me to
neither touch her nor make love to her,’’ Salami said.
He added, “Another cleric who lives with me, told me that my wife was
after my life; that she gave him charms to put in my food.
“There was a day she wanted to stab me with a broken bottle but for
the quick intervention of my friend who entered at that time and
collected the bottle from her. My son beat me up mercilessly and tore
my clothes to pieces with my wife’s consent.”
The plaintiff told the court further: “My father’s property belongs to
me alone. My wife and children cannot inherit my father’s property but
can only inherit my own property.
“My wife is fighting to take over my father’s property from me,
claiming it belongs to her and the children.
“I later bought land in her name so that she and the children can have
that as their inheritance but she went to the landowners begging them
to sell the land and give her the money,’’ he said.
The plaintiff pleaded with the court to terminate the marriage so that
he could have peace of mind and live long to enjoy the rest of his
life.
The respondent consented to the dissolution of their marriage and
admitted denying her husband sex.
“I was ill at a time and when I recovered from my illness, my husband
refused to sleep with me, claiming I am a madwoman.
“He went and married another woman without my knowledge and when he
later wanted to sleep with me, I refused,’’ she said.
The court’s president, Adeniyi Koledoye, in his judgment, said: “Since
both parties consented to the dissolution of their marriage, this
court has no choice than to dissolve the marriage.
“The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Mr. Ganiyu Salami
and Mrs. Halimatu Salami dissolved today.
“Both of you henceforth cease to be husband and wife. Each of you
should go on his or her separate way unmolested. The court wishes both
of you well in your future endeavour.”
