‘I became a rapist because my wife starved me of sex’, man tells court

Ojo Adewole, a Lagosian has blamed the wife for pushing him to take to raping, due to her constant refusal to have sex with him.

Adewole, a father of five children, while testifying in a divorce petition filed by his wife at an Ikole Customary Court in Ekiti state, south-west Nigeria. He however admitted to being a serial rapist.

His words: "Your honour, my wife had always starved me of sex.  Instead of taking care of me and the house, she went about partying and making friends”.

"My wife is simply wayward and the family had always supported her deeds. Your honour, I may not have the moral justification to ask for the preservation of the marriage, but I am praying the court to reduce my monthly financial obligation to my children to N5, 000.

The respondent told the court that he doesn't have a tangible source of livelihood at the moment, hence his plea for a reduction in the monthly financial obligation.

"My prayer for the slashing of the upkeep money hinges on the fact that I have just been released from detention and I do not have any tangible source of livelihood at the moment.

The petitioner on her part told the court that her estranged husband had been sexually unruly" adding that he had gambled out their collective property and money.

She said: "Your honour, my husband is so addicted to gambling to the extent of using my three cell phones, cooking stove and other house utensils to gamble. His habitual drunkenness made him to beat me so often.

The woman who was obviously fed up with the union further told the court that her husband is irresponsible and evades paying their children's school fees.

"He is not also responsible for the upkeep of our five children as he evades paying their school fees. Your honour, I am tired of the marriage and I want it dissolved forthwith.

"The father of my children does not have respect for her family members even though all of us stood by him when he was involved in a rape case."

She sought for the custody of all the children and prayed the court to compel the respondent to assign some amount monthly for their upkeep.

In her ruling, president of the court,  Mrs Yemisi Ojo dissolved the 15-years-old marriage between Omotayo and Adewole for promiscuity and gambling lifestyle.

Ojo held that the petitioner’s request had merit and "in the light of the evidence before the court, it is clear that the respondent’s lifestyle had put off the feelings the petitioner initially had for him.

"It is appropriate in the circumstance for parties to be allowed to go their separate ways.

"I, therefore, order that the custody of the children from the union would remain with the petitioner,’’ the president held.

Adewole was ordered to give his ex-wife the sum of N10, 000 every month for the upkeep of the children.