From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Federal lawmaker, Hon. Bolaji Ayina has told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) how the extravagance and violent lifestyle of his wife is mounting pressure on his health.
The lawmaker representing Mushin 2 for constituency at the House of Representatives lamented that since his marriage to Adebimpe Jennifer Atinuke as his second wife, ” she has subjected him to all forms of abuses ranging from open abuses or insults and physical violence, including his domestic staff.
His deposition is contained in his statement of defence filed in response to a suit brought against him by his wife.
In the writ of summons marked FCT/HC/CV/006/2020, his estranged wife, Atinuke is claiming joint ownership of two properties located Sun City Estate, Abuja.
Besides, the landed properties, a three- bedroom bungalow and four-bedroom duplex, she alleged through her counsel, A.U. Mustapha (SAN), that while she was on admission in the hospital, her husband took away her Mercedes Benz E500 he bought for her and gave it out to his first wife in Lagos.
But in his statement of defence dated August 7, 2020 and filed by the law firm of Paul Harris Ogbole (SAN) & Co, the lawmaker urged the court to dismiss the suit as it is founded on outright falsehood.
Ayinla has submitted through his counsel, Okwudili Abanum that inspite of her violent nature, he has not contemplated divorcing her and has continued to show her love and make her live a comfortable life.
“I made the claimant so comfortable that I provided her with all the basic comfort, I.e. giving her money from time to time for business, buying her jewelleries, especially gold and diamond jewelleries, a Lexus Car which was immediately replaced by a Toyota Camry car after she had an accident with it.
Besides securing a Federal Inland Revenue employment for her, Ayinla said he “provided the claimant with a comfortable accommodation, a stand by generator, drivers, cooks etc. However, because of her violence she drove them all away.
“The claimant was never satisfied and her thirst for extravagance is insatiable. The lawmaker averred that the claimant has also on several occasions assaulted him despite knowing his health status. In fact she escalate his health challenges at every given opportunity and has not in anyway helped him in solving his high Blood pressure.
He stated that he has not divorced her and “up till this moment, marriage between them is still subsisting as husband and wife.
The lawmaker further stated that the allegations of dishonesty and unfaithfulness against him are all false.
He urged the court to dismiss the suit as the reliefs sought are baseless, mischievous, misplaced and gold digging.
He narrated that she met the claimant in 2016 at the National Assembly as a marketer with Guarantee Trust Bank, Plc (GTB), where they developed a relationship that eventually led to their marriage in 2016.
Ayinla has argued through his counsel, Okwudili Abanum, that before the marriage to her which is blessed with a baby boy, he did not hide the fact from her that he is a Muslim married to his first wife, Mrs. Titi Ayinla with children all of whom resides in Lagos.
That at no time did he ever inform the claimant that he was a divorcee or that he had divorced this first wife, Titi Ayinla.
He denied making any proposal to her wife for equity contributions towards the purchase and completion of two of his properties, to wit, a four-bed room duplex and a three bedroom bungalow at Sun City, Abuja.
That at the time the properties which were purchased in his name as carcasses (uncompleted) from ADCAN property Ltd, in May 2015, he was still in the process of getting to know her wife and could not have made any proposal for equity contributions for either of the property.
He added that at no time during the processes of the finishing and completion of the two properties did he make or request equity contributions from his wife.
The lawmaker further denied taking a loan of $157, 050 from her as she did not have the financial capacity as at that very time, to loan out such an amount to him.
“At no time material to this suit did the defendant ever requested nor received from the claimant the sum of $157, 050 in cash at the National Assembly branch of the Guaranteed Trust Bank Plc. That as a matter of fact, the claim of the said amount being the claimant’s savings and support from families and friends is false, untrue and a concoction deliberately made to deceive this court.
The defendant also told the court that he has never ceded the properties to his wife nor ever told or informed his friends, family members, associates, personal lawyer or one Engineer Evans Chukwu that his wife is the beneficial owner of the three-bedroom bungalow at No. 6, Juba Street, Sun City Estate, Abuja.
She claimed that she met her husband in year 2015 at the National Assembly complex where she was working as a staff of Guaranteed Trust Bank Plc (National Assembly branch).
That few months later, he proposed to marry her which she turned down owing to age differences between them and also the fact that he was a married man with children.
“However, with a view to assuring her of marriage security, he proposed further to her to make an equity contribution by way of cash towards purchase and completion of the two properties which he had already acquired, to serve as family properties.
That having regards to the above, she accepted the marriage proposal and eventually got married under the Yoruba Native laws and Custom on May 8, 2016, at her father’s house in Plateau state.
Thereafter, she also conducted marriage ceremony under the Islamic law on September 3, 2016.
Before the said marriage, she alleged that she handed over to her husband, the sum of $157, 050 in cash at the National Assembly branch of GTB, which was sourced from her savings and support from families and friends.
She claimed that the amount was a request from her husband to support the finishing and completion of the two properties he bought at Sun City Estate, Abuja.
That contrary to the agreement she had with her husband for them to move into the four bedroom duplex together as a family after the delivery of her son, he refused to honour it.
She further claimed that investigation revealed that in December 2017, her husband first wife and children had moved into the property without any information to her.
That contrary to the agreement of joint ownership of the properties, her husband has dispossessed her of the title documents and become furious each time she inquired about them.
She therefore urged the court to declare that having contributed money for the purchase and finishing of the properties, they are joint owners of same.
An order restraining her husband or whosoever from laying claims to or title to the three bedroom bungalow.