Customary Court in Ibadan, on Thursday granted custody of twin children to a trader, Abiodun Adeoye, over his wife, Rukayat’s ”deteriorating mental illness”.
Delivering judgment, Chief Ademola Odunade, the President of the court held that the court had no other option than to grant Adeoye’s prayer for custody of the children because Rukayat was not capable of providing motherly care.
“From the information available to this court, Rukayat’s condition could put the children’s lives at risk because she is already treating them unkindly, beating babies like grown ups.
“The position of the law is that anyone who is mentally imbalance is not fit to handle delicate issues such as those concerning raising children successfully.
“Therefore, Abiodun’s mother is in a better position to take care of them and if Rukayat’s relatives are desirous of seeing them, they are free to approach the court,” Odunade said.
According to reports that the court dissolved the marriage between Adeoye and Rukayat in July on grounds of inability to perform wifely roles.
Under cross-examination, the court took note of Rukayat’s deplorable mental condition as the answers she provided to the questions asked did not correlate.
According to Adeoye’s mother, nobody suspected Rukayat’s condition until she moved into her son’s home.
“She talks to herself from time to time. Noboby suspected anything after she gave birth to the twins, untill she started throwing things around the house.
“We did everything humanly possible to take care of her . We tried the traditional means and the medical one, but it failed.
“In fact, we spent over N1 million on her marital rites,” she told the court