Adebukola, wife of Dr. Rotimi Olalekan Babalola, the Chief Medical Director of oil producing company, Chevron Nigeria Limited, has made public how she is struggling to survive through her marital life as she has now approached the Lagos High Court to seek divorce.
According to court documents with suit No: LD/9231WD/2021, Adediwura brought the petition against Dr. Babalola on the ground that he has been displaying act of intolerable cruelty and inhuman conduct towards her and the only child of the marriage.
According to the facts filed in support of the divorce petition, which constitute the grounds upon which the petition was anchored, Adediwura alleged that her husband had abandoned their matrimonial home since January 1, 2021, leaving the petitioner and the only child in the matrimonial home.
The respondent has been adamant in resisting efforts to reconcile the two parties by their counsel, A.O Agbola, Esq of Cheakley Chambers and Olusola Idowu (SAN) of Olusola Idowu & Co. for petitioner and respondent respectively, Adediwura alleges.
The petitioner contended that the divorce petition became the last option for her when it was apparent that her husband was not ready for any peaceful reconciliation coupled with his alleged constant harassment, intimidation, and threat of unlawful forceful eviction from her matrimonial home.
Following the alleged constant harassment and physical assault on the petitioner by her husband, a medical doctor, which often left her with bruises, the petitioner said she has been traumatized and had in the past sought treatment at Chevron Clinic and has also been attended to by a psychologist at Chevron.
In addition, the petitioner contended that notwithstanding the fact that the respondent has abandoned the matrimonial home since January 2021, the respondent between April and July 2021, has been coming to the matrimonial home at No 8, Service Crescent Cooperative Villa, Badore Ajah, Lagos, and has carted away, fridges, freezer, gas cooker, generator and solar panels supplying electricity to the house.
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The petitioner described the conduct of the estranged husband towards her and the child of the marriage as wicked, callous, irrational and physically abusive.
Apart from seeking the dissolution of the marriage contracted at the Kosofe Local Government Marriage Registry on 9th February 2012, the petitioner is also praying the court for the custody of the only child of the marriage; an order compelling the respondent to return all the items carted away from the matrimonial home.
In addition, the petitioner is also praying the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent from interfering with the petitioner’s possession of the matrimonial home at No 8, Service Crescent Cooperative Village, Badore Ajah, Lagos State.
She is also seeking for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the husband from coming within one kilometer radius of any house or office premises that may be occupied by her and N1,000,000 monthly maintenance among other reliefs.
Meanwhile, Babalola was alleged to have sent people suspected to be soldiers to retrieve a car from his estranged wife.
Mrs. Babalola, who had earlier reported her husband to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, was said to have gotten more than she bargained for when fully armed soldiers were said to have invaded her matrimonial home around 2.30p.m, putting her and her daughter under severe apprehension as they attempted to forcefully retrieve her car allegedly on the orders of her husband.
Adediwura said the soldiers who did not mince words on their mission told her that they were acting on the instructions of her husband.
However, reprieve came for her and her daughter when a good Samaritan, a senior military officer got wind of the invasion of her matrimonial home and challenged the soldiers on their unlawful mission.
Following the intervention of the senior military officer, the soldiers immediately vacated the scene at No 8, Service Crescent Cooperative Villa, Badore, Ajah, Lagos.