A mother of three, Mrs Maria Adoga, has asked an Upper Area Court in Makurdi, Benue State, to dissolve her marriage to her husband, Moses, alleging relentless domestic violence, chronic alcoholism and abandonment of the family whenever he is paid his salary.

Maria told the court that the union, contracted in 2013 under Idoma customary law and later solemnised at St. John Bosco Catholic Church, Ugbokolo, has broken down irretrievably. What began as a loving relationship during courtship and the early years of marriage, she said, has turned into a cycle of fear and brutality.

According to her testimony, the couple’s three children have grown up watching their father allegedly stagger home drunk, lash out violently and “misbehave” in full view of neighbours. She recounted repeated beatings that, she said, left her “beaten to a pulp” and nursing multiple injuries, insisting she can no longer endure the abuse.

Maria further alleged that Moses routinely disappears from the matrimonial home for weeks immediately after receiving his monthly salary, leaving her to shoulder the burden of feeding, housing and caring for the children alone. She told the court that he has stopped paying rent and has effectively abandoned his responsibilities as both husband and father.

The petitioner also raised concerns about her husband’s mental health, claiming that in 2020 he began to exhibit symptoms of a possible mental disorder. That development, she said, has heightened her fear for the safety of herself and the children, making cohabitation impossible.

Maria is asking the court to formally dissolve the marriage and grant her full custody of their three children. She is also seeking a monthly allowance of N50,000 for their upkeep and an annual sum of N300,000 to cover school fees, arguing that the children should not be made to suffer further as a result of their father’s alleged conduct.

Responding in court, Moses did not directly address the allegations but appealed for an opportunity to resolve the matter outside the courtroom, saying the couple was in the process of settling their differences.

The presiding magistrate, Mr Vershima Hwande, adjourned the case to allow both parties time to explore possible reconciliation or prepare for a full hearing on Maria’s petition for divorce and child support.