Ayodeji Obayan, a middle-aged man, on Friday approached the Grade 'A' Customary Court in Oke-Eda, Akure, Ondo State, seeking to establish paternity over his four children.
The move comes after his wife, Lillian Obayan, revealed that she had altered their children's names to match her new lover's surname.
Obayan, who expressed deep anger over the situation, vowed to pursue legal intervention to ensure his rights as the biological father of his children are upheld.
According to him, he decided to approach the court for its assistance following his wife's decision to change their children's surnames without his consent.
During his testimony before the court, Obayan stated that their 23-year-old marriage had been plagued by constant crises and abuse.
He revealed that in 2019, Lillian packed her belongings and left their home to move in with another man.
According to him, to make matters worse, his estranged wife proceeded to change not only her name but also the surnames of their children to match the name of her new lover.
On her part, Lilian described Obayan as irresponsible, "Obayan is not a good husband to me and a good father to his children, as he doesn't pay their school fees nor care about how they are living.
"He didn't pay my dowry. So, I finally found a man to marry. And my new love wants my children to bear his name instead of that of their irresponsible father.
"Our children are old enough to choose for themselves as they are no more kids. My first two girls, Mayomi and Damilola, are 22 and 20 years old, while the boys, Ariyo and Aduragbemi, are 18 and 16 years old respectively."
Meanwhile, in his ruling, Magistrate Olusegun Rotiba, the court's president, pleaded with the parties to allow peace to prevail between them.
He subsequently adjourned the case till September 28, 2023, for continuation and adoption of oral addresses and possibly judgment.
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