A 62-year-old man, Adesanya Akanni, is seeking the dissolution of his 32-year-old marriage to Florence Akani, over religious differences.

Adesanya Akanni approached a Lagos Island Customary Court, Lagos on Thursday complaining that wife’s continued practice of her Christian faith was adversely affecting the family.

The petitioner claimed that his marital problems started about 26-years ago, when his wife, Florence resumed the practice of her Christian faith.

He also alleged that she changed the names of their five children to Christian names without his consent.

Akanni said, “Our five children were given Muslim names at birth, Kaosara, 32, Kudirat, 25, Mubarak, 22, Azeez, 19 and Musa, 17.

“Their mother and the Church she attends, have now changed their names to Oluwatomi, Victoria, Oluwasegun, Oluwarotimi and Peter respectively.

“I did not know until I went to the school of my last two boys to ask for Azeez and Musa but officials of the school claimed they did not have students bearing those names.

“It was when I mentioned their surname that I was told that they now bear Oluwarotimi and Peter.”

The petitioner also said he was not informed when his first daughter got married and gave birth to her two children.

“The Church and my wife gave out my daughter, without informing me; she gave birth to her two children. My wife and daughter did not tell me anything.

“We live under the same roof and over the past two years, my wife has stopped cooking my meals. She does not allow me to make love to her,’’ Akanni said.

Akanni, however, prayed the court to dissolve their marriage and award custody of the last two children to his wife, Florence, 61, who denied all the allegations.

She explained that Akanni did not insist that she should convert to Islam after their marriage, stressing that at the time of their marriage, “my husband was not a practising Muslim.

“I started attending Church when I had an 8-year delay after our first child; he used to accompany me to Church but later stopped and then prevailed on me to discontinue attending Church.

“This our fight over religion has been ongoing for years, but I have refused to stop going to church because God has been answering my prayers.

“After eight years of believing God for the fruit of the womb, God gave me, not just one but three other children. I have been taking them to Church ever since.

“When our first daughter wanted to get married, I informed my husband but he said our daughter should go and `meet her father in the church’.

“He had vowed he would not be part of the wedlock, unless our daughter re-converted to Islam,”

The mother of five, told the court that she still loved her husband but, ‘I cannot convert to Islam’.

The president of the court, Mr Awos Awosola, adjourned the case to Nov. 30 to enable other members from both families to mediate on the matter.

NAN

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65 COMMENTS

  10. Am a christian n I won’t support wrong. ….d woman ve no right to do such things . ..she can only teach them moral and the way of the lord and truth……them wen the children r of age 18+ they ve the right to any religion they choose. ….as for now the children is till under the authority of their father. …..except he doesn’t provide for them

    • I nope but that would be hard……let me tell you the reason why….someone that gave birth to a child are the parents to the child but the one who train and provides for the child is called the mother/father of the child……what I simply mean is that…..if you gave birth to a child doesn’t make you his father/mother…it is wen you provide that makes you the father/mother of the child……so there is different btw one who gave birth to a child and one who father a child…….the only reason why God is our father in heaven is bcos he takes care of us his children by making sure he meet up to our daily bread and his protection. ….

  11. My blame goes to the woman, don’t u know his religion and race before get married and u change their names without informing ur husband which marriage is that….. Sorry I see dey no do wedding

  12. **Oga the names doesnt really matter ive seen people answerinq Johson Sulieman,Emmanuel Musa,David Abdul etc..

    **Then marriage was meant to bring people from difrent ethnic groups,homes,villages,religion and country and both come together as one,with love and understandinq..ones ure married b ready to compromise most of ur beliefs,nt bcos urs isnt good enough bt to keep ur marriage..
    She knew she wasnt qone change ha religion y did she accept to mary him?.

    **Even as at dat,we were told Muslims and Christians serve one God! Bt dis high rate of descrimination is wt i dnt understand.
    Misintepretation of the holy Bible nd Quaran its affectinq d world at large.
    I think religeous leaders need to qive proper orientation to their followers.

  14. Pls didn’t they know that before they married each other …they were meant to agree on all this before marriage.. Whether or not the wife would convert.. And the religion their children would practice

  15. She chose to be his wife and is she is truly a Christian then she should obey the bible. A wife must be submissive to her husband in ALL things. Note the all in capital. Fighting her husband is rebellion and it is like witchcraft.

  16. The time U married him dont u know he was Muslim? or where u not aware of the consequences that will follow? shebi u married a husband without caring about his religion? so u must stay there n must convert, ode, sometimes i wonder some stupid things people do in the name of love bear ur cross, i pray my girlfriend will see this post, since she have decided to marry a Muslim…una never see anything yet mtcheww

  26. Oluwatomi, Oluwasegun, Oluwarotimi. So those name is now a Christian name?. Nawa for all this brainwash people that call themselves yoruba Muslim. Well what did i expect from someone that change his surnames because religion.smh

  27. Mr. Leo your knowledge of Bible is shallow, Religion is an individual decision and determination. You cam force religion on anybody but u cannot force him or her to give his or life to d god or God of that religion. Religion Compulsion is Terrorism in syle.

  29. I believe there was an agreement between them like every other couples who inter married like that ,most of them agree to be allowed to follow their respective religions believe ,and they agreed to it ,I think the problem arises because of the children ,but they are grown they can make their choice

  32. U didn’t know he was a muslim b4 marrying him. U must dance 2 d music u played 4 urself, or u walk out. U no c christian marry , luv carry u go muslim place, u come dey complain.

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