…says she was tricked into marrying mentally unstable man
A nurse, Elizabeth Omeh, has narrated how she almost got killed by her husband because she asked him for sex after starving her sexually for one year.
She told Ebonyi family Law Centre, a special court in the state that handles family matters that her husband almost strangled her to death on one occasion and that each time she makes attempt to seduce him for sex, he will start beating him.
She said James her husband has made her to lose interest in the marriage and she has decided to return her bride price to the man’s family
The woman who is a native of Ngbo, in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state, claimed that her bride price was hurriedly paid within two weeks and her husband’s family brought a healthy man, Johnson to her to marry, but suddenly withdrew Johnson and replaced him with a very sick man, James as her husband.
She stated that the rush of the marriage process didn’t give her the opportunity to court and know the man that wanted to marry her.
She said her husband is mentally unstable and that he is epileptic which according to her has affected his reproductive health and defied all medical attentions rendered so far.
The woman said that despite the fact that they deceitfully wedded her in Methodist Church Ngbo Diocese, she can’t continue staying in the marriage, because of the man’s state of health and the family’s deceitful approach to her.
She said the family is yet to show remorse by coming to her parents to plead for peaceful resolution despite three years she already spent in her parents home.
“I had a baby boy before the family came to marry me. Johnson ( not real name)is the one that they presented to come and marry me. After the traditional marriage,we went to stay with them. Then they told me that it is James (not real name)that is my husband.I discovered James is mentally ill, epileptic and impotent.
“He does not talk from morning till night. In the night he attacks me with cutlass. He wanted to kill me one night. I was sleeping in the night and he nearly strangled me to death. At a time, I have spent 3 years in my father’s house without any information from them. So now, I want to be free from them. Another day, he nearly killed me because I tried to arouse him for sexual intimacy as my supposed husband. He beat me untill I fainted. They should come and collect the bride price they gave my parents,” she narrated.
The complainant’s brother and mother Sunday and Josephine ( not real names)spoke thus: ” She is my sister. It is true that they told us he is sick but the damage is too much. He is insane and wanted to kill her. For 3 years now they have never asked about her. I don’t want him to kill her one day. I am appealing to the court to take another step and save the life of my sister.
“There is no need giving them another chance. They deceived my daughter and the entire family. The man in question was just brought to our compound once. That day he was on bike and we greeted,he didn’t even come down from the bike for us to notice anything.
“Subsequently ,the brother was the person coming to our house to represent him confusing my daughter. He promised that the brother will take my daughter abroad for further studies in her nursing career, but all were deceit.”
The respondent James, said: “She is making me to be amused. We don’t have any problem. The day she left, I went for burial and she asked me to have sex with her and I said no that am tired. I hit her and beat her and she left that day.”
Collaborating the brother, Johnson added, ” My brother is sick. And we looked for a wife for him. With the help of our inlaw we found her. We told her that the man is sick. She said there is no problem that she is ready to marry even if he is old man. We came and did all the things needed. My elder brother visited them many times. She accepted and we married and wedded her in Methodist Church. Why is she complaining? The vow was till death do they part.”
Chairman of the Ebonyi state Family Law Center, Mrs. Elizabeth Nwali, ruled that, ” since the woman has said that she will not continue with the marriage sequel to the deceit , and constant beating and the man’s state of health which had defied all medical attentions, we cannot force her. We have no competent jurisdiction to dissolve marriages but at worst she can go to welfare office in their local government area and pay in the rejected dowry/bride price into government treasury and move on.”