My husband raped my cousin in our matrimonial home

A 31-year-old -trader, Oluwaseyi Ajofoyibo, on Tuesday at the Igando Customary Court , Lagos state, accused her husband, Kamoru Ajofoyibo,33, of allegedly raping her cousin in their matrimonial home. Oluwaseyi also told the court that her husband was in the habit of beating and blackmailing her at the slightest provocation.

Oluwaseyi with her two children, ages seven and two, had since moved out of her matrimonial home to Badagry. “My cousin came to my matrimonial home, asking me to help her appeal to her mother over a misunderstanding; I left the house for a night. “When I returned, my cousin told my neighbours that my husband tried to rape her in our matrimonial home.

“When she was probed further, she confessed that he succeeded in raping her. “As a result of his action, I told him I was going to visit my parents in Badagry, but I packed my belongings and left with my sons. “I rebuffed several attempts by our families for me to return to my matrimonial home.

“He then came and forcefully took away one of our sons. I want my son back, that’s why I brought him to the court. We were not legally married. He refused to pay my dowry,” Oluwaseyi said. Her husband, Kamoru, who resides at Osunba Street, Igando, a suburb of Lagos, did not deny raping his wife’s cousin nor forcefully taking the couple’s seven years’ old son.

“We were not having any misunderstanding. She said she wanted to visit her family in Badagry and I gave her N30,000. “She said she would spend two weeks, but two weeks turned to months, and months turned into years. “Our families called a meeting, she refused to talk, and she was not moved with the tears from her mother’s eyes.

“ I relocated my son to my brother’s place in Badagry because I needed to be seeing him regualrly. “I know I have made some mistakes and I’m sorry,’’ the 33 year-old-trader said. The President of the court, Mr A. L. Omilola, in his ruling, told the couple to come for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) on Dec. 16. Omilola adjourned the case till Jan. 16 for further hearing.