Industrialist Dumps Wife, Marries Housemaid, Wife Demands N1B Compensation

A housewife, Mrs. Omolara Yetunde Ijaodola of House 31, C Close, 52 Road, 5th Avenue, Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Lagos, Nigeria, has accused her husband, Engr. Folorunso Ijaodola of infidelity, alleging that he had extra-marital affairs with their housemaid and another employee.

Mrs. Ijaodola told a High Court in Otta, Ogun State that her husband tricked her to travel to the United Kingdom which she vehemently opposed because of his alleged adulterous nature. But she regretted that when finally she succumbed and travelled overseas, her husband seized the opportunity to marry their housemaid and another worker.

Businessman and an industrialist, Engr. Ijaodola instituted the divorce action against his wife before the Otta High Court of Justice.

Responding to the writ of summons, Mrs. Ijaodola demanded for the sum of N1 billion as compensation. She also asked for the custody of their underaged boy, Fisayo Adeola and the payment of N300,000 as his monthly up-keep allowance.

She also demanded for the sharing of the applicant’s properties including five houses in England, three in South Africa, Virgin Beauty Industries, Virgin Press, filling station, landed property, blocks of shops and several others.

Mrs. Ijaodola told the court that she made the demands to enable her settle down to establish her own business since her husband laid claims to the properties they both laboured for since they married on 5 February, 1987.

However, the petitioner, Engr. Ijaodola, dismissed all the allegations made by the respondent. He also rejected the N1 billion demanded as compensation by the respondent, saying that she did not contribute a dime to the business and that she is neither a shareholder nor a director in any of his companies, except her picture which was imprinted on one of the company’s beauty products. He denied owning any property jointly with the respondent, stating that all his properties in Nigeria and abroad are wholly owned by him.

Ijaodola also denied having extra-marital affairs with either the domestic servant or any of the company’s workers, saying that he is a hard-working businessman whose dedication and devotion to his numerous businesses do not permit any frivolity.

He also objected to the demand of the respondent concerning the custody of their under-aged boy and the last born of their marriage, saying that the child will be better taken care of if he is allowed to take custody until he is sufficiently grown up to determine where he wants to stay.

When the case came up at the court yesterday for re-cross examination, the respondent insisted that the court should grant her request.

However, the presiding judge, Justice Okunsokan, adjourned the case till 9 June, 2010, for further hearing.