She has failed as a mother, I want custody of our children —Husband

A bricklayer,  Abdulfatai Tijani, has  approached Ile Tuntun Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking the custody of his three children aged 10 years, eight years and five years respectively.

Abdulfatai told the court that his wife, Ganiyat Tijani, a tailor, had made her tailoring business  a priority over caring  and monitoring of  their children.

The children, according to him, were emotionally, psychology and mentally unbalance because they were starved of the necessary care, attention and affection which should naturally flow from a mother to her children.

“While my wife was still under my roof, my major grouse with her was her manner of treating our children. She wasn’t playing her motherly role as it was expected of her.

“She wasn’t bothered about our children’s welfare. Her tailoring business was her first priority.

“She didn’t care if they were well fed, looked nice and didn’t  show any interest in their education.

“She was always about her business and was used to travelling. Any time she travelled, the children were left at our neighbours’ mercy, “Abdulfatai said.

“She was also fond of beating and starving them whenever they commit an offence. When I correct her, she would still make sure she punished them few days after.

‘I ensured I paid the children’s school fees as at when due, but on the  few occasion; that I was financially handicapped, my wife never offered to help with the payment of the fees despite being financially comfortable.  She wasn’t bothered if the children were sent home from school.

“I made every effort to ensure that there was food at home because I desired that our children ate well. On many occasions I did the purchasing of foodstuff by myself. But my wife, to my surprise, would go behind me and sell a part of this foodstuff, “the plaintiff further stated.

“She packed out of my home in May 2016 when we had a misunderstanding and withdrew the children from the school I enrolled them in.

“I didn’t know where she was living for a number of months. I was told she was always on business trip and was always leaving the children in her sister’s care.

“I was later informed of the place she was living and also told that our children were attending a public school which I didn’t  like. I, therefore, sought for a private school in her neighbourhood  where  the children could attend.

“I got a good school, spoke with the proprietor and called her on phone to enroll the children there. She told me she had travelled, but that she would ask her sister to bring the children there which she did.

“My lord, our children need proper attention and monitoring which their mother has failed to provide them. I pray to have these children in my care, “he concluded.

Ganiyat while responding stated thus:”He sent me out of his house after we quarreled for taking a second wife.

“He sent me out with our four children and we were sleeping anywhere we could lay our head.

“His friend, Abdusalam mediated in our issue and asked that I handed over the children to him. The children were reluctant leaving me and staying with him, but I told them he is their father.

“He called me a week after this that our last child was sick and that he had been given injection.

“I rushed to his house and took the child to the hospital where he was given drip and blood transfusion, but he eventually died.

“I was later told he was poisoned.

“My lord, I can’t let my children live with him and his second wife. I don’t want to weep a second time.”

The court president, Chief Agbaje Olasunkanmi, after listening to both parties stated that more evidence would be needed.

He, therefore, adjourned the case till July 12 and ordered both parties to come to court with their witnesses and children.

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