Abia State Customary Court Dissolves Anglican Priest’s Marriage
A customary court in Aba, Abia State, on Wednesday dissolved an eight-year-old marriage between an Anglican cleric, Chiemela Alozie, and Ifeyinwa, his wife, for denial of matrimonial rights.
The dissolution followed a suit filed by the priest claiming that his wife abandoned him since 2007 without any reason.
Mr.
Alozie told the court that his wife packed her belongings and left the
house without any reason, adding that efforts to reconcile with her
failed as she refused to heed to calls and advice.
Granting
the divorce, the presiding Senior Magistrate, Diamond Olewengwa, said
the respondent had never
appeared in court since the case started on
June 3.
“The
marriage, having broken down irretrievably and the respondent having
refused to come to the court to state her case is assumed to have
accepted the dissolution,” Mr. Olewengwa said.
The
magistrate said the matter was called up four times between June 3 and
June 24 for hearing but Ms. Ifeyinwa failed to show appearance after she
was duly served.
The
court also granted the petitioner custody of their only child, Adachi,
six, and ordered Ifeyinwa to refund the bride price of N60 to her
estranged husband.
The court said that both parties were free to remarry.
(NAN)
