Court dissolves journalist’s 12-years marriage, grants custody of three children

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

An Edo State High Court in Benin City has dissolved the 12-year marriage between journalist and founder of BeeTV News, Best Mbiere, and her estranged husband, Okechukwu Mbiere, citing an irretrievable breakdown of the union.

Delivering judgment on Monday, the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, granted custody of the couple’s three children to the petitioner.

The court also directed the respondent to refund N21.5 million allegedly paid by the journalist to settle debts connected to fraud allegations involving his former workplace.

Justice Okungbowa further ordered the respondent to pay N100,000 monthly for the upkeep of the children, in addition to covering their school fees, educational materials and medical expenses when necessary.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the marriage, contracted on February 8, 2014, became the subject of legal proceedings after the petitioner approached the court on May 17, 2023, seeking dissolution of the union and other reliefs.

Mbiere, a former reporter with Independent Television and Radio, Benin City, told the court that she had been solely responsible for the family’s financial obligations since her husband lost his job in 2018.

She asked the court to grant her custody of the children, award monthly maintenance of N150,000, order repayment of N7 million allegedly used to establish a boutique business for the respondent, and refund N21.5 million she claimed was spent settling debts arising from fraud-related matters.

The petitioner also sought ownership of three properties located in Edo State.

The respondent did not oppose the dissolution of the marriage but challenged the request for custody of the children. He argued that the children had been living with his mother because the petitioner’s demanding journalism career limited the time she could devote to their care.

He also disputed ownership claims over the properties, insisting that one of them belonged to his mother.

In his ruling, Justice Okungbowa held that both parties had agreed the marriage had broken down irretrievably and should therefore be dissolved.

The judge ruled that the welfare and best interests of the children were paramount, noting that they were still of tender age and should remain in their mother’s custody. However, the court granted the respondent unhindered access to the children.

The court reduced the monthly maintenance sought by the petitioner from N150,000 to N100,000, citing the respondent’s financial capacity.

On the disputed properties, the judge declared one of them a matrimonial property, while awarding the remaining two to the respondent due to insufficient evidence supporting the petitioner’s claims.

The court also declined to grant the request for repayment of the additional N7 million, ruling that there was inadequate evidence before it to support the claim.