A pastor, Olamide Agbejaife, has successfully ended his 30-year relationship with his partner, Mary, after filing for separation at the Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan.
The court granted the request, citing reasons including a consistent denial of intimacy, allegations of food poisoning, and Mary’s indifferent attitude. In the ruling, the court president, O.E. Owoseni, stated that both parties were free to part ways, acknowledging that Mr. Agbejaife had lost interest in continuing the relationship.
The court also declared that their union did not qualify as a valid customary marriage, as there was no evidence of a bride price being paid, which is a requirement under Nigerian customary law. Additionally, Mr. Agbejaife’s request to restrain Mary from allegedly harassing or threatening him was dismissed, as he failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the claim.
During the hearing, Mr. Agbejaife shared that the relationship began to change in 2017 after he received a spiritual revelation indicating he would marry another woman. He claimed that since then, Mary had refused to be intimate with him and had even tried to poison him.
He recounted an incident on December 6, 2021, when he suffered severe stomach pain after eating food she had prepared, which he suspected was poisoned.
He also accused her of abandoning him for over a year following surgery in 2022 and spreading false rumors of his death.
In response, Mary, a trader, pleaded with the court not to dissolve the relationship, expressing her desire to continue the life they had built together, especially for the sake of their children.
She denied the pastor’s claims, countering that it was he who had stopped being intimate and had moved out of their home. While admitting to occasional arguments, she denied any physical violence.
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