A petitioner, Mrs. Mabel Alli, had approached the court to end her 41-year marriage to Richard for impregnating her sister and their daughter.
Stating her case before the court, Mabel had said, “My husband sexually molested all three of our daughters. After impregnating my sister, he took one of our daughters to the hospital to have an abortion.
“Our 19-year-old girl also reported to me that he always sneaked into her room to have intercourse with her and I had caught him in the act.
“My friends and domestic staff were not spared. I had caught him with them too, he is just a womaniser,” the estranged wife told the court.
The 63-year-old businesswoman said that her husband was fetish and also wanted to use her for money ritual in order to finance his political ambition.
Mabel also alleged that her husband did not take care of the children.
The mother of four begged the court to terminate the union, saying she was no longer interested.
However, Richard, who denied all the allegations, welcomed the divorce, saying he, too, was no longer interested in the marriage.
The 66-year-old pastor denied sleeping with his wife’s sister, friends, housemaids or their daughters, saying that it was his wife that took their daughter for abortion.
According to him, he never took his wife to any herbalist and had never ever threatened kill her.
The respondent said that he went to Kenya to attend prayer conference and not to get power and charms as his wife had claimed.
In judging the case, an Igando Customary Court in Lagos, on Thursday, dissolved the 41- year marriage of Mrs. Mabel Alli and her husband, Richard, a pastor, over incest.
The Court President, Mr. Adeniyi Koledoye, said it appeared that the estranged couple were tired of the marriage and all efforts to reconcile them had failed.
“Since both parties agreed to the dissolution of the marriage, this court has no choice but to dissolve it.
“The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Mabel Alli and Pastor Richard dissolved. Both of you henceforth cease to be husband and wife.
“Each of you should go your separate ways. The court wishes both of you well in your future endeavours,” he said.
(NAN)