By OLAWALE AKINREMI

A Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Mapo Ibadan, on Friday, dissolved an 18-year-old marriage between one Mrs Rodia Olasupo and her estranged husband, Mr Abas Olasupo, following claims of irresponsibility and lack of care.

In her judgment, the court President, Mrs S.M. Akintayo held that the relationship between both parties had broken down irritriveably, hence the dissolution.

The court, consequently, awarded custody of the six children of the marriage to the petitioner, and ordered the respondent to pay a monthly feeding allowance of N60,000 for the children’s upkeep.

The court also held that the petitioner must give the respondent reasonable access to the children anytime he wished to see them.

She held that the respondent must fully partake in parenting the children, by being responsible for their education rather than sharing his responsibility with relatives.

The court issued an order, restraining the respondent from harassing, threatening and disturbing the petitioner.

Earlier, Rodia, a food vendor, had told the court that she filed the suit to call it quits because her husband had failed to show responsibility by providing for their upkeep in the last 18 years.

“When the starvation and uncertainty continued, I decided to move out of his home with four children.

“He took away the remaining two, distributing them among his siblings and friends.

“My lord, Olasupo is too troublesome, there is no more love between us,” she claimed

On his part, the respondent was silent on the allegations preferred against him.

He, however, urged the court not to grant the petitioner custody of the children, on the grounds that she might not afford them access to education.

According to him, the first child was already in a polytechnic with his sister, while the other child was being jointly taken care of by him and his friend in Ikorodu.

He told the court that the child had been enrolled in a public school, as education is free in Lagos state. (NAN)