DIVORCE: ‘He said he had a degree in Mass Comm’

Lagos—The presiding President of a Lagos Customary Court sitting at Agboyi/Ketu, Mr. O. T. Williams, yesterday advised women to always do proper investigation before going into marriage.
He said this while dissolving the marriage of a 38-year-old business woman, Nnenna Nwokonko, which she contracted with her estranged husband, Kelechi Nwokonko, over deceit.
The petitioner had, on October 28, asked the court to dissolve her six-year-old marriage over alleged threat to life and assault, adding that the relationship was also built on deceit.
She said: “He lied to me that he is a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and that he is financially buoyant, only for me to discover that he is just a school certificate holder without any genuine means of income.”
Nnenna presented as evidence text and WhatsApp messages the respondent, Mr. Nwokon-ko, allegedly sent her.
One of them read: “I will destroy you with my mouth. I have seen a man coming out of your house; I have declared war on you and your family. If I see you on the streets, I will disgrace you. I am prepared for war, shameless dog.”
The respondent did not deny the allegations of deceit or assault, but told the court that he was not interested in divorcing his wife.
“After consultation with my family and pastors on the implications of divorce and the effect it will have on our child, I no longer want to divorce my wife,” he said.
When the court asked Nnenna if she was willing to consider the respondent’s plea, she said no.
The President then dissolved the marriage, saying that there was obviously no more love and that threat to life had been proven without reasonable doubt.
The court, however, told the respondent to appeal within 30 days if he was not happy with the decision.