A woman seeking divorce told the court that her husband regularly poisoned her food. Omotayo Kumunyi, a caterer based in Ibadan, appeared before the Mapo Grade A Customary Court on Friday, requesting the dissolution of her 21-year marriage to Olatunde Kumunyi.
She cited poisoning and domestic violence as the reasons for her request.
Kumunyi, who lives in the Osungbade area of Ibadan, explained that her husband failed to provide for her and their four children.
She revealed that, five years ago, their third child told her that she had seen Olatunde pouring a black substance into her food when she wasn’t around.
Kumunyi confronted her husband about the revelation, but he denied it and refused to taste the food when she offered him some.
She also accused Olatunde of regularly physically assaulting her and their first child.
“Whenever he saw us, he turned us into punching bags,” Kumunyi said. She added that when the situation became unbearable, she moved out with three of the children, leaving the second child behind.
She requested custody of the children, expressing concerns that Olatunde would not properly care for them.
Olatunde did not directly respond to most of the allegations but confirmed he had paid the bride price. A carpenter who lives in the Challenge area of Ibadan, he stated that he was willing to pay N5,000 monthly for the children’s upkeep if he was not granted custody.
He claimed that Kumunyi had mistreated their two youngest children and argued that the second child, who lived with him, had been attending school regularly.
After hearing the evidence, the court’s president, Mrs. S.M. Akintayo, ruled to dissolve the marriage, acknowledging that the union had been legally contracted.
She granted Kumunyi custody of the last three children and ordered Olatunde to pay N20,000 monthly for their upkeep, in addition to covering their education and other welfare needs. The court also ruled that the first child, now 18, could choose to live with either parent.
Lastly, Akintayo issued a restraining order against Olatunde, prohibiting him from harassing, threatening, or interfering with Kumunyi’s private life.
