Court dissolves 266 marriages in 12 months

The President, Abeokuta Customary Court Grade I, sitting in Ake, Ogun State, Mrs. Christiana Olaleye, said her court has dissolved 266 marriages in the last 12 months.

Besides, she said the court also reconciled 74 couples within the same period.

Olaleye, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abeokuta, condemned the high rate of divorce in the country, describing it as worrisome and disturbing.

She blamed the high rate of divorce on intolerance and immorality.

The court president accused some parents and guardians of shirking their responsibility of bringing up their children properly, noting that improper upbringing was one of the causes of the high divorce rate.

Olaleye said, “To some extent, I think some parents are to be blamed for not giving proper guidance to their children.Today, most children lack tolerance; this makes their marriages to crumble.

“I have had some turbulent times in my 48-year-old marriage too, but it is tolerance and the future of my children that have made me to remain in it.”

She, therefore, counselled prospective couples to pray fervently before getting married.

“Prayers play a major role in marriage; couples must not put God aside in whatever they do. It’s very important to ask God for guidance,” she advised.

Olaleye said her court only dissolved marriages when all possible means of reconciliation had been exhausted, but added that the court was interested in the welfare of children involved in such cases at all times.


She said, “When children are involved in a marriage, then it becomes very necessary to do everything possible to save such a marriage.


“In case we cannot save the marriage, then the custody of such children and their welfare become our areas of interest. We can’t force couples on each other, but we have to really try our best before we dissolve any marriage.”


She also said that some of those seeking marriage dissolution were often motivated either by other men or women whom they wanted to marry.


Olaleye said, “Most couples seek divorce because they have found other men or women, and there is little or nothing the court can do because their minds are already made up.

“Most of them don’t think about the children’s future at all. It’s indeed a worrisome situation.”