An Igando Customary Court in Lagos, on Wednesday dissolved the 14-year-old union between Pastor Peter Onuoha and his wife, Rose.
Delivering judgment, the President of the Court, Mr Adeniyi Koledoye, held : “it is obvious from the available testimonies and the respondent’s refusal to appear in court that the marriage has broken down completely.
“Throughout the duration of this case, the respondent refused to honour court processes.
“Whenever the respondent was served, she would demand for N150,000 from the petitioner before she can appear in court, therefore, the court has no other choice than to dissolve the marriage.
“The court pronounces the marriage between Pastor Peter Onuoha and Mrs Rose Onuoha dissolved. Both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.
“Each of you should go your separate ways unmolested, the court wishes both of you well in your future endeavour.” he said.
Koledoye granted the custody of the first three children to the petitioner and awarded the custody of the last four children to the respondent.
He said the petitioner would be responsible for the feeding, education and general welfare of all the children.
Earlier, the petitioner, Peter, 45, told the court that his wine wished him dead “she begs me to commit suicide.
He said that his wife, Rose, with whom he had seven children in their 14-year-old marriage wanted him dead for no reason.
“I don’t know what I did to her that made her to detest me so much so as to wish me dead,” he said.
He described his wife as ungrateful, saying that he wanted her to be independent, so he encouraged her by opening up businesses for her which she mismanaged.
“I built a school for her, she fought with teachers, parents of the students, squandered the money and it was eventually closed down.
“I reopened the school and employed another person to manage it but my wife vowed to deal with me for handing the school to another person and she made good her threat.
“After some weeks, the school building collapsed physically and my wife came to me dancing, making jest of me and singing” the wall of Jericho fall down flat and all these frustrates me,” he said.
Peter said all efforts made by his fellow pastors to reconcile them failed, say “she was summoned but she presented three options and asked me to pick one.
“She said the first option was for me to go on a journey and never return, secondly, I should die and be buried and third one was that I should write my will and die.
“I refused to choose any of the options, she was angry and vowed not to give me peace if I refused to comply,” he said.
Peter said that his wife absconded from their matrimonial home with four of their children and some of his property.
“I came home after few days we met with our pastors and discovered that Rose has bolted with the last four of our children and left the first three behind.
“She also stole my land document and other valuables and all efforts made to retrieve my landed document and other valuables proved abortive.
He begged the court to terminate the marriage as Rose was after his life.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the respondent (Rose) was not present in court.
