By TAIYE AGBAJE

A contractor, Chief Uzo Nwosu has told an FCT Customary Court that he slept with his househelp because his wife refused to perform her matrimonial duties.

Nwosu told the three-member panel of the court headed by its Chairman, Hadiza Attah, in response to the application filed by his wife, Rebecca, praying the court to dismiss the writ of summons.

He alleged that his wife was only giving him access to her body when she wanted pregnancy.

?And after the birth of the second child, the respondent continuously sex starved the petitioner until she moved out of the matrimonial house,? Nwosu alleged in the petitioner?s reply to the respondent?s answer to the petition and cross-petition.

Also while being led in evidence-in-chief by his lawyer, Thomas Ojo, Nwosu who testified as 4th prosecution witness (PW-4), said his ?wife usually sacks the housemaids at every little provocation and in a space of four years, she had sacked 18 housemaids.

?Anytime my children visit me with the housemaid and return back to her house, she will sack them and accuse them of sleeping with me without any just cause, without making any arrangements for an alternative help.

?My wife goes out late at night, leaving my children with the security guard at the gate,? he said.

When the lawyer asked Nwosu why his wife accused him of raping a maid, he said the incident was consensual and not a rape.

?My lord, the reason was that my wife denied me access to her body and I was starved for about four months.

?Because of this incident, my wife reported me to the Human Rights Radio i.e. Brekete Family.

?The matter was not aired because the housemaid refused to follow my wife to the Human Rights Radio on the grounds that what my wife was alleging was not true.

?I had planned to marry the maid, her name is Mercy.?

When Ojo asked him what informed his decision to want to marry the maid, Nwosu said it was because of the way she loved and cared for his children.

When the lawyer asked him to confirm to the court that he is a prince, Nwosu said: ?My lord, I am a prince and by the custom and tradition of my people of Ohuhu , Umahia North, Abia State, I am entitled to marry multiple wives.?

The PW-4, who prayed the court to give his mother the custody of his children, denied that his son had autism contrary to his wife?s allegation.

?That is a big lie, my son does not have autism. He only has a delay in speech which is caused by lack of attention.

?My father spoke at the age of four years, five months and I spoke at the age of four years, three months.

?My son is three years and he is speaking. The mother cannot just handle it.

?There are kids or children who she sees that have spoken earlier than my son. At the age of three years my son already has interest for extracurricular activities.

?Attention that ought to be given to my children by their mother, I now have to pay for it through the maids I employed,? he said.

The petitioner, Nwosu, had, in the suit marked: FCT/JD/CC/TAK/CV/09/2025 and filed at the Customary Court sitting at Takushara, an outskirts of Abuja, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage between him and his wife.

In the suit filed by Ojo, Nwosu said he got married to his wife under Igbo native law, custom and tradition in May 2021 after months of courtship.

He said prior to the marriage, Rebecca pretended to be a good and humble lady worthy to be taken as wife material.

He alleged that it was after his wife got pregnancy in August 2021 that he ?started feeling the other side of marriage.?

The marriage was said to produce two children; a boy (3years) and a girl (about 2years).

According to Nwosu, both the petitioner and the respondent are now separated at the instance of the respondent.

He alleged that there had not been conjugal relationship for more than a year, even when they were living together.

He further alleged that his wife denied him the custody and access to their children.

?The respondent is addicted to her wayward life style of clubbing and promiscuity, leaving the children with the estate security guards.

?That the petitioner wept profusely at the bad condition his cherished children have been subjected to by the respondent,? he alleged.

He, therefore, prayed the court to give the custody of their children to his parents, particularly his mother, in the best interest of the children and society.

Nwosu, who is an engineer, said his mother borrowed money to pay the rent for the current apartment where his wife lives with the children of the marriage.

He said he could have paid the rent but ?the tradition does not allow it otherwise curses will follow him.?

He, therefore, sought three reliefs, including a decree of dissolution of the marriage on the ground that the said marriage had broken down irretrievably.

He sought an order granting full custody of the two children to his parents in the best interest of the children.

Nwosu also sought an order, granting right of visitation of the two children of the marriage to his wife.

But Rebecca, in her response to the petition, vehemently denied getting married to Nwosu under the Igbo customary law in 2021 or any other dates.

Rebecca, who said she is Ijaw by tribe from Kolokuma Opokuma LGA in Bayelsa, said she was born and brought up in her state.

?My marriage to the petitioner was conducted in accordance with the ljaw native law and customs on April 30, 2021.

She said the marriage took place at her father?s compound situated at No. 49, Tenacious Street, Edepie, Yenagoa in Bayelsa.

She said she first met Nwosu, who was her customer and patronised her clothing business in 2019, but lost contact until 2020 when they reconnected while he (Nwosu) was going through a divorce proceeding with his ex-wife.

?The respondent states that after the petitioner concluded his divorce proceeding, he showed her a divorce certificate and after a lot of persuasions from the petitioner and his family, the respondent agreed to marry him,? the document reads.

She said after traditional marriage, a Christian marriage was conducted on May 1, 2021 at Living Kings Christian Church (LKCC), Yenagoa in Bayelsa.

Rebecca said she had been dutiful, respectful, obedient and a loving wife to Nwosu all along until he revealed his true character ?which he had hid all along from her and which was also the reason for his divorce with his ex-wife.?

The respondent, who alleged that Nwosu divorced his ex-wife within a year after their marriage, said she was warned by friends and family not to go into the marriage, but felt he would have learnt from his mistakes.

She alleged that Nwosu was responsible for their separation ?when he raped and sexually assaulted one of the housemaids sometimes in July, 2024.?

According to her, the action of the petitioner brought shame; betrayed her love, trust and shattered the marriage, leading to the intervention of both families and third parties which resulted in the parties separating.

Rebecca said she had always given herself to Nwosu and despite birthing two children, her husband allegedly raped one of their housemaids which he confessed to her.

She said contrary to Nwosu?s claim, she never denied him access to the children since they separated.

Rebecca, who said Nwosu had acted in a manner that was not in the best interest of the children to be in his custody, alleged that her husband ?is a chain-smoker and smokes in the presence of the children.?

She alleged that their son had, once, picked up the cigarette butts from the floor and put in his mouth in imitation of his father.

?The petitioner raped and sexually assaulted a housemaid in the house which makes their daughter who is barely 20 months old unsafe to be with the petitioner unsupervised,? she added.

She said she informed her mother in-law about his smoking habit but to no avail.

She said on numerous occasions she had reached out to Nwosu for his input on the children?s welfare and well-being, including their education, but he had been indifference to her call.

According to her, respondent shall adduce evidence of WhatsApp chats during the trial.

Contrary to Nwosu?s allegation, Rebecca said she ?does not do clubbing or live a promiscuous life nor abandon her children to estate security to look after or any other person.?

She said she had been a responsible, hardworking, loving mother and a good role model to her children before and after separating with Nwosu.

She alleged that when she told Nwosu about the health challenge of their son, who is now diagnosed with Autism, he rebuffed in his usual manner.

Rebecca, who alleged that Nwosu was morally corrupt, said this had made it difficult for her to retain domestic workers as they became disrespectful and uncontrollable within a very short time.

?The respondent further avers that the petitioner raped and sexually assaulted one of the nannies in the presence of the children.

?But criminal charges were not pressed, because the victim did not have the wherewithal to pursue the case and the petitioner and his mother used their position and resources to pay her off and close the case.

?Video and audio recordings as well as evidence of bank transfers will be adduced,? she said.

She disagreed with Nwosu?s prayer that the children should be given to his mother, saying ?the petitioner?s mother has been a stranger in the lives of her children and has demonstrated no regards for their wellbeing.?

According to her, for more than 10 months and still running, the petitioner?s mother has neither visited, checked nor called to ask on the wellbeing of her grandchildren since parties separated in October 2024.

?The petitioner?s parents had an overbearing influence on the marriage and dictated what happens in the parties? matrimonial home, even when living in different compounds and often threaten the petitioner with losing his inheritance if failed to adhere to dictates.?

She said it would not be in the interest of the two children for them to be taken away from her and given to her mother in-law, ?who had demonstrated little interest in the wellbeing of their grandchildren.?

She alleged that after their marriage Nwosu stopped her from working or continuing with her clothing and fashion business that he would solely provide while she takes care of the family and home front.

She said Nwosu?s advice ?put her in a financially dependent position, rendered her financially incapacitated and stopped her from earning a personal income despite being a graduate with a flourishing business.?

Contrary to Nwosu?s traditional belief, Rebecca said her husband and her mother are Christians and do not believe curses would be Inflicted on a father for providing for the upkeep of his children.

She prayed the court to dismiss Nwosu?s claims ?save for the order for dissolution of the marriage which has broken down and love lost between the parties because of the disgraceful and infidel lifestyle of the petitioner.?

Rebecca, who prayed the court to dissolve the marriage, urged the court to compel Nwosu to collect the N60,000.00 bride price paid by him in accordance with Ijaw native law and custom.

She urged the court to make an order granting full custody of the two infant children of the marriage to her until they attain the ages of maturity, in the interest of the children.

She also prayed the court to make an order compelling Nwosu to continue paying school fees and providing educational needs and health insurance for the children until they attain the full ages of maturity, among other reliefs.

Meanwhile, Rebecca?s new counsel, Mike Enahoro-Ebah, has challenged the jurisdiction of the court sitting at Takushara village to entertain the suit

In a motion on notice dated Nov. 4 but filed on Nov. 6, the lawyer sought an order dismissing the suit on the ground of ?forum shopping and an abuse of process of court which has otherwise interfered with the course of justice and undermined substantial justice before the honourable court.?

Enahoro-Ebah, who said Nwosu lives at Life Camp while Rebecca presently residents at Dawaki, argued that the cause of action of the suit did not arise from. Takushara village for the case to have been instituted at the court.

However, Nwosu, through his lawyer, Ojo, opposed the application in a counter affidavit filed on Nov. 11.

He asked the court to dismiss the motion and ordered Rebecca to open and conclude her defence, after he called six witnesses to prove his case.

The court has fixed Nov. 20 for ruling on the motion. (NAN)

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