Court orders man to accept responsibility for ex-wife’s pregnancy

An Abuja Area Court sitting at Lugbe on Monday ordered a 40-year-old man, Aliyu Leleyi, to take responsibility for his ex-wife nine-month-old pregnancy and a three-year-old son.

The Presiding Officer, Mr Haruna Masanawa, held that Leleyi should pay a monthly alimony of N8, 000 for her upkeep and N5, 000 for the upkeep of their three-year-old son.

Masanawa said these financial commitments to his ex-wife, Hadiza Aliyu, 23, and child excluded antenatal and general medical care for both of them.

He also ordered the Aliyu to go back to Leleyi’s house and remain there until she is delivered of her pregnancy.

“Therefore, the defendant is, hereby, ordered to give the plaintiff the sum of N8, 000 every 30 days from today (Monday March 4).

“With regards to the three-year-old child, the plaintiff is, hereby, awarded custody of and the defendant must pay the sum of N5, 000 monthly for his upkeep.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Aliyu had asked the court to compel Leleyi to accept responsibility for her pregnancy one year after he divorced her.

Aliyu, who resides at Ido-Sarki Village, Lugbe, a suburb of the FCT-Abuja, also accused Leleyi of neglect and lack of care for their three-year-old son since their divorce.

She told the court that she had been married to her husband for five years until February 2012 when he just woke up one day and asked her to leave his house.

The plaintiff told the court that she was shocked and decided to report the issue to the Village Head, who invited Leleyi for a meeting to resolve the issue to no avail.

Aliuy said she had no option than to return to her parents, adding that her parents invited him for a meeting with a view to resolving the matter.

The plaintiff said following her parent’s intervention, Leleyi reluctantly took her back only to send her packing again 15 days later.

She said she returned to her parents again with her only son, saying that Leleyi had again failed to take responsibility for her son’s upkeep.

Aliyu said she went to Leleyi’s house three months after to console him when he lost a relation as tradition demands.

The plaintiff said that she stayed there for three weeks only to discover that she had taken in for him.
In his defence, Leleyi said that he divorced his former wife since February 2012, and never had any matrimonial relationship with her to date.

“In February, 2012, we had a problem and she left my house for her parent’s house; the problem was resolved later and she came back to my house only to depart again 15 days later.

“A few months after, she sent me a message that my three-year-old son who lives with her took ill and I sent her some money to take him to the hospital.
“While in the hospital, she said she did a pregnancy test on a doctor’s advice and it turned out positive and she told me that I was responsible, but I disclaimed the pregnancy,’’ Leleyi told the court.(NAN)