My Father-in-law said for the safety of the journey, the lives of the kids in the vehicle and other road users, I should write a divorce letter to my wife, Modiu Lawal told the court.
Lawal narrated this to the Upper Area Court, Kubwa, Abuja on Wednesday after his wife, Hairat Tanko had dragged him to the court asking for confirmation of the divorce letter he gave to her.
Lawal told the judge, Hon. Bashir Danmaisule who presided over the case that the divorce was not intentional.
He said, “On 25th June, 2020, we embarked on a journey from Warri to Abuja. While on the journey, I have my wife, our two kids and myself as the driver of the vehicle. One hour into the journey without any prior quarrel, my wife stood from behind and gave me a blow from behind. I was surprised and shocked by her action. On the steering, I discovered I was loosing vision and I managed to park.
“In my shock, I put a call to my father-in-law to inform him about the scenario. To his surprise, he demanded that I hand over the phone to my wife. On giving her the phone, she flinged the phone across the road. I crossed over the road and picked the phone. Luckily, my father-in-law was still on and I told him she isn’t willing to speak.”
He said the father-in-law quickly called his wife’s phone and after their conversation, the father-in-law called him and said “your wife is seeking for divorce and for the safety of the journey, the lives of the kids and other road users, I should write a divorce for her. I turned that down twice and my father-in-law said I should trust him, that immediately we get to Abuja, she will drop the divorce letter. I did as instructed.”
Lawal told the court that his wife was not present at the meeting that was organised for them by the father-in-law on 28th June, 2020 without any reason.
“Present at the meeting were my wife’s father, mother, brother, sister and myself. I demanded why my wife was not there, no reason was given to me. Right in the meeting, my father-in-law told everyone that he instructed that I should give a divorce letter to my wife for the safety of all and as it stands, there is no divorce. I was asked if I have the question of divorcing my wife, I said no. We agreed to adjourn and reconvene because of her absence. Till now, no meeting,” he said.
Reacting to the allegation of violence act, Tanko said “I didn’t hit him in the vehicle as he claimed. I held his shirt at the back. I didn’t know until I got to Abuja that my father instructed him to divorce me. I have my divorce letter written by him to me.”
After hearing from both parties, Hon. Danmaisule adjourned the case to December 22nd, 2020 for judgment.
