How my in-laws forced me out out of Islam to worship Osun deity – woman tells court

A staunch Muslim woman , Sakirat Wasiu has told Ile Tuntun Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, how her father in-law’s brother took her to Osun deity when she was sick and now she sees strange things in her home.

While the woman claimed her change from Islam to Osun deity was at the root of the crisis, her husband, Jimoh Wasiu insisted he was tired of the union and wanted a divorce.

Jimoh, who brought his wife before the court is seeking dissolution of the marriage. He told the court, “My wife has no respect or regard for me; she flouts my orders and disobeys my instructions.

“She is a noisy fellow who has turned herself into a nuisance in the neighbourhood due to her penchant .for fighting. Our neighbours are fed up with her.

“She once packed out of our home for two years; the youngest of the children she left behind was then eight months old. I single-handedly raised our children.

“I accepted her back when my mother in-law mediated in the matter. When she returned to my house, she stole N26,000 and at another time, N23,000.

“My wife often sold the food I bought for the family and kept the money. As a result, our children look underfed. I once hit her during an argument. She fainted and since then I have stopped beating her,“ he added.

“I got home one afternoon and discovered she had packed her belongings and moved out with the children. She also went away with all my property and left only my shirts.

“She came one Sunday afternoon demanding for the children’s feeding allowance. She made a scene; she shouted on top of her voice, rough handled me and tore my cloth. Thank God for neighbours who were around and who mediated in the matter.

“I have gone through much trauma, I believe the best thing to do is to quit.”

But according to his wife, “Our main problem now is the Osun deity which I now worship. I had always been a staunch Muslim before I was introduced to the deity when I was sick by my father in-law’s elder brother. After being initiated, I started seeing strange things.

“Sometimes even when it is not raining, our house will be filled with water. There were times I felt as if I was being pulled towards a pool or river when passing by it.

“My husband warned me to stop worshipping the deity and even threatened to destroy the idol. The day he went into my room and attempted to destroy it, he fell down.

“My mother warned me not to marry him, but he would not let me be, so I married him. I now realise why my mother stood against our marriage,“ Sikirat stated.

“I had always stood by my husband from the outset of our marriage. We waited for about eight years before we had our first child, through this trying period, I did all I could to keep our marriage.

“He didn’t have money in our early years of marriage, but I didn’t give up on hm. I encouraged him to buy a piece of land and we both contributed towards building it.

“I have been enduring my husband’s battering from the outset of our marriage. Anytime we had a misunderstanding, he would beat me and send me packing. I would go to my mother’s place and after a while return to his house after our family members would have mediated in our differences.

“He once beat me and I fainted. I was rejected by three hospitals and was in coma for three days while on admission.

“He lied that I stole his money. He has made it a habit not to give me feeding allowance. Sometimes when I ask him, he would lie that he doesn’t have money. On such occasions, I would search his pockets and wardrobe after he would have left home and take whatever amount I find. When he comes back, I will tell him that I saw such amount where he kept it and I have taken it.

“But I must confess that he does everything in his power to pay our children’s school fees while I support him with whatever I can afford.

“My lord I’m afraid of the wrath of the deity if I dare abandon it, please help save my marriage,” the defendant pleaded.

However, the court president, Chief Agbaje Olasunkanmi, after listening to the couple, adjourned the case till May 23 and requested that the couple come to court with their parents.