A long-running property dispute between two former spouses reached a new stage on Thursday when a Customary Court in Oke-Eda, Akure, Nigeria ordered Mrs. Mary Afolabi to return—or fully replace—a deep freezer belonging to her ex-husband, Mr. Afolabi Olufemi.
The case, first filed on August 13, 2025, has drawn repeated attention from court staff due to emotional exchanges and conflicting claims over household items left behind after the couple’s marriage was dissolved.
During the latest hearing on November 6, 2025, Mrs. Afolabi revealed that the deep freezer at the center of the dispute was no longer available. She told the court that she had sold it during a period of financial strain to provide for herself and the children, alleging that Olufemi had stopped fulfilling his responsibilities.
Her statement drew reactions from those present, prompting the court to call for calm.
Mr. Olufemi immediately rejected the allegations, arguing that he never abandoned his duties and accusing his former wife of using hardship claims to keep property that did not belong to her. He insisted the freezer was his personal item purchased before their separation, urging the court to compel its return.
When asked by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Falana, about the current market value of an equivalent appliance, Mary estimated the cost at between ₦80,000 and ₦90,000. She suggested paying the amount by November 2026—a proposal the court deemed unreasonably distant.
In her ruling, Magistrate Falana ordered Mrs. Afolabi to either return a similar functional deep freezer or pay its full value no later than March 31, 2026. She emphasized that compliance with the ruling was mandatory and that delaying restitution for another year was unacceptable.
Source:Africa Publicity
