An Igando Customary Court in Lagos has dissolved a 41-year-old marriage between Mabel Alli and her husband, Pastor Richard, over alleged incest. The Court President, Adeniyi Koledoye, said it was glaring the estranged couple were tired of the marriage and all efforts to reconcile them failed.
“Since both parties agreed to the dissolution of the marriage, this court has no choice but to dissolve it. The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Mabel Alli and Pastor Richard, dissolved. Both of you henceforth cease to be husband and wife. Each of you should go your separate ways. The court wishes both of you well in your future endeavours,” he said.
The petitioner, Ms Alli, approached the court to end her marriage to Richard, for impregnating her sister and their daughter. According to her, her husband had sexually molested all three of their daughters.
“My husband sexually molested all three of our daughters. After impregnating my sister, he took one of our daughters to the hospital to have an abortion. Our 19-year-old girl also reported to me that he always sneaked into her room to have intercourse with her and I had caught him in the act. My friends and domestic staff were not spared. I had caught him with them too, he is just a womaniser,” the estranged wife told the court.
The 63-year-old businesswoman said her husband was fetish and also wanted to use her for money ritual in order to finance his political ambition.
However, Richard, who denied all the allegations, welcomed the divorce, saying he, too, was no longer interested in the marriage. The 66-year-old pastor denied sleeping with his wife’s sister, friends, housemaids or their daughters, saying that it was his wife that took their daughter for abortion.
