Court saves 40-year-old marriage of septuagenarian

An Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday saved a 40-year-old marriage between Mrs Margret Kehinde ,60, and her septuagenarian husband, Francis Kehinde , over alleged infidelity.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Court President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, after several adjournments and interventions, successfully resolved the marital differences between the couple.

Omilola admonished the respondent to turn a new leaf and he urged the couple to maintain peace.

“I urged both of you to go home and continue to love each other and live in peace.” he said.

Mrs Margret Kehinde, 60 and a trader, had pleaded with the court to end her 40-year-old marriage over her husband’s infidelity.

The petitioner said that her 70-year-old husband, Francis, for whom she bore four children, was fond of bringing several women into their matrimony home.

“My husband comes home with different women and they sleep on our matrimonial bedroom, and he will tell me to excuse them by relocating to the guest room.

“There was a day he came home with a girl, I wanted to force myself inside the room, but he beat me up till I became unconscious for three days.

“When I reported him to his family, he told them that he could not change his lifestyle as he could not do without sex.” she said.

The mother of four, therefore, urged the court to dissolve the 40-year-old marriage, that she could no longer cope with her husband’s infidelity and the beating was unbearable.

Similarly, Mr Francis Kehinde, 70, a bread seller, in his testimony said he had no regrets for bringing other women to his matrimonial home.

“My wife refuses me sex; she always tells me that she is too old for sex. So, I do not have an option other than to bring other women into our matrimonial home.

“Anytime she sees me with a woman in my room, she fights me, I love sex because my life has just begun at 70,” he told the court.

The respondent also accused his wife of infidelity; saying “Margret also brings her boyfriend to the house.

“She brings her boyfriend home, she will even bring his clothes to the house to wash.” Francis alleged.

Kehinde, however, did not object to the dissolution of the marriage, saying, “I am also fed up with the union.’’