In Akure, Ondo State, a Customary Court has made a significant ruling in a case involving the dissolution of a 23-year marriage between Prophet Obayan, the founder of Divine Prophetic Solutions Prayers Ministry in Lagos, and his wife, Prophetess Chibuzor Obayan. This marital dispute also concerned the paternity of their four children.
The estranged wife, Chibuzor, had raised eyebrows by changing the names of their children to match her new lover’s name, a former member of her husband’s church. This act led to a legal battle, with Prophet Obayan seeking both the return of his children’s paternity and the dissolution of their lengthy marriage.
Prophet Obayan, who hails from the Yoruba ethnic group, cited various issues, including disobedience, misunderstanding, manipulation, and abuse as grounds for divorce. He also claimed that his wife, an Igbo woman from Abia State, had changed the children’s surnames to “Obi” – her lover’s last name.
The court proceedings involved testimony from multiple witnesses, with the respondent’s lawyer arguing that there was no valid customary marriage between the couple, particularly due to the absence of essential customary marriage elements, as per Igbo traditions.
In contrast, the petitioner’s counsel presented evidence supporting the existence of a marriage ceremony between Prophet Obayan and his wife.
Ultimately, Magistrate Segun Stephen Rotiba dissolved the marriage, noting that both parties had lost interest in maintaining the union. He further clarified that the children in question had already reached adulthood.
Addressing the issue of the changed surnames, Magistrate Rotiba strongly criticized the custom that allowed the alteration of the children’s surnames to their mother’s lover’s name, labeling it as backward, irrational, discriminatory, and unacceptable. He invalidated this change of name and declared it null and void.
In conclusion, the court dissolved the marriage, rejected the custom of changing the children’s surname, and rendered invalid any publications or actions related to altering the children’s surnames during the legal proceedings. This ruling signifies a crucial decision regarding customary marriage and child custody matters in the region.
