Spike in Divorce Cases: Ondo Courts Overwhelmed with 500 Petitions – The Hope Newspaper
A troubling wave of divorce and domestic violence is sweeping through Ondo State, with over 500 cases in the last one year, sparking deep concern among stakeholders, rights activists, and government agencies, Weekend Hope investigation can reveal.
An in-depth investigation by The Hope Newspaper revealed a disturbing trend of emotional and physical abuse, particularly against women, many of whom are forced to either flee their homes or endure in silence.
Increasingly, the once-sacred institution of marriage is being tested by rising economic hardship, fading tolerance, and a dangerous culture of silence.
Data gathered by Weekend Hope from the Family Court Division of the Ondo State High Court in Akure showed that more than 200 divorce cases involving legally married couples were filed in 2024. Between January and mid-March 2025, the High Court Section recorded over 80 divorce petitions.
The newspaper reports that the Customary Courts where traditionally married or cohabiting couples seek redress gathered that 88 cases were filed in 2024.
Speaking with Weekend Hope, Head of the Family Court Section at the Ondo State High Court, Mrs Akindele Abiloye, expressed dissatisfaction with the alarming rate of petitions before the court.
According to her, the cases cut across every class, including civil servants, clerics, artisans, and even retirees as elderly couples, married for decades now return to court over abuse or long-standing grudges”
Equally disturbing is the sharp increase in cases of domestic violence, which many say directly contributes to the spike in divorce.
The Ondo State Agency Against Gender-Based Violence (OSAA-GBV) revealed that in 2024 alone, it handled 212 cases of gender-based abuse almost double the figures from previous years.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mrs Bola Afolabi, while speaking with Weekend Hope, lamented the growing burden on the institution.
We are seeing a spike in spousal battery. Women are beaten, emotionally traumatised, and chased out of their homes, often in the dead of the night.”
She disclosed that many abusers now rush to file for divorce in court immediately after their cases are reported, a strategy to evade legal punishment.
We’ve seen cases where husbands, after brutalising their wives, quickly head to court to gain the upper hand. In most cases, these women are not empowered and rely heavily on our legal support,” she said.
A visit to OSAA-GBV’s office in Akure revealed harrowing scenes of young women with bruised faces, some clutching children, others loitering in despair, seeking help.
A female victim, visibly traumatised, narrated how she was jointly assaulted by her husband and mother-in-law before she was thrown out.
Another victim, who craved anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the issue, narrated to Weekend Hope how her husband of six years turned into a nightmare.
She lamented: “I was rushed to the hospital after he hit me with a heavy object. I stayed two weeks. He doesn’t want me to work. He controls everything, even how I buy fuel for the car.
According to OSAA-GBV’s records, the agency handled 118 cases in 2022 and 91 in 2023, but the figures spiked in 2024 due to worsening economic conditions.
“Frustration at home is becoming a trigger for violence,” Afolabi noted.
She also blamed cultural and religious doctrines that discourage divorce, even in life-threatening situations. “Some women want their husbands punished, but not jailed. Others are told by religious leaders to endure. But when death happens, it is too late,” she said.
Afolabi, who recently led a campaign across religious centres in the state, urged churches and mosques to educate worshippers on the need for peaceful homes and zero tolerance for violence.
In response to the rising crisis, the Ondo State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs, has launched the Boy Child Initiative to instil values of empathy and emotional control in young boys.
If we must stop this trend, we must raise boys who respect women and understand peaceful co-existence. Just like we mentor girls, boys must not be left behind,” Afolabi posited.
Public commentator and senior civil servant, Mr. Adekunle Oluyole, said the time has come for a shift in societal expectations around marriage.
We must teach tolerance. Many couples forget they come from different backgrounds. Adjustments are necessary, though infidelity and unmet expectations also contribute significantly to marital breakdown.”
According to social workers, many children are traumatised, watching their parents abuse each other daily.
We’ve had a case of an 8-year old boy who attempted to strangle his sibling, mimicking what he saw his father do to his mother,” a counsellor said.
Experts have called for strengthened legal frameworks, sustained funding for shelters and counselling centres, as well as the inclusion of domestic violence education in school curriculums. There are also demands for the establishment of mobile courts to fast-track domestic abuse cases.
CREDIT: The Hope Newspaper 
