Sa'adatu Ayuba, a Nigerian, who had cited impotence as the reason for seeking divorce from her husband of 27 years, Jalija, made the unexpected plea reversal during a Dei-Dei Grade I Area Court session in Abuja on Wednesday. Despite her husband's alleged failure to comply with court orders, Ayuba expressed her enduring love for him.
"My Lord, though my husband refused to follow the court order for him to perform his duties as a man, I still love him," she emotionally declared.
Jalija, in response, presented a different narrative, stating that their living situation had taken a turn for the worse. "My landlord gave us a quit notice, so she moved out of our home. I told her I wanted us to move from Dakwa because of transportation to my place of work, but she rented her own place and moved out on December 31," he explained.
Highlighting the strain in their relationship, Jalija insisted on his disinterest in continuing the marriage. "Since she told the court that I cannot perform my duties as her husband, the court should grant her request for divorce. I do not love her anymore," he asserted.
Presiding over the case, Judge Saminu Suleiman took a unique approach, ordering Jalija to take his wife to his residence and provide for her according to his capability. The judge also directed the court police officer to accompany the couple to verify Jalija's living situation. The case was adjourned until January 26.
Ayuba had initially approached the court for divorce, alleging that her husband's extramarital affair had led to a cessation of intimacy in their relationship. "I got married when I was 16. I have never been with any other man but my husband," she had stated during an earlier court session.
As the court prepares to reconvene later this month, the unexpected twist in this longstanding marriage has left both parties and court observers in suspense, eagerly anticipating the resolution of this complex marital dispute.