19th August, 2016
An Ojaoba Panel of Sharia Court of Arbitration in Ibadan on Friday heard that Abdulrasheed Yusuf, gives his wife, Sidikat, N10 per meal as upkeep allowance for family of six.
Sidikat had asked the court to dissolve her 18-year-old marriage to Yusuf for alleged infidelity and starvation.
“He was giving me N10 as feeding allowance either as breakfast or lunch because he said he just lost his job.
“Even when he got another job, Yusuf did not change and in fact, the situation worsened as we continued to depend on concoction.
“Yusuf, most of the times fed on bread and egg with sardine while the children and I took gari or eba.
“My lord, right from the beginning of my stay with Yusuf as his wife, I started experiencing different kinds of bad treatment of which starvation was number one.
“Worst still, Yusuf started having sexual intercourse with my younger sister who came to assist me when I was sick and in fact impregnated her.
“My lord, I still managed to endure with him for 10 years and when I saw that things will not change, I moved out of his house.
“As if those are not enough, he could not pay for any of his children hospital bill, let alone mine.
“During our wedding, so as to make things easy for him, I barely requested him to give me my favourite Islamic music cassette as my bride price and I am ready to refund it,” Sidikat explained.
Sidikat also said that her husband impregnated her younger sister.
However, Yusuf strongly opposed the divorce but failed to address any of the fundamental issues of starvation and infidelity raised by his wife.
“My lord, till the end of time, I am not parting ways with Sidikat.
“I am ready to welcome her back into my home any day anytime,” Yusuf said.
In his judgment, the President of the court, Sheikh Hamad Tirmisiyu, held that it was terrible for any husband to be so irresponsible to the extent of being unable to fend for his household.
He added that Sharia considered inability of a husband to adequately provide for his family as a wicked act and ungodly.
“Obviously, there is no true love between Sidikat and Yusuf because the husband cannot respond to the fundamental issues raised by the wife.
“Accordingly, Sidikat shall refund the Islamic cassette which stood as bride price on wedding day to Yusuf.
“The children shall determine who to stay with between Sidikat and Yusuf.
“In addition, Yusuf shall pay a monthly feeding allowance of N10,000 for the upkeep of the four children until they are ready to stay with him,” he said.