I’m no longer married to my ex, we’re divorced, woman says

Mrs. Tega Amanda Obukwuko, formerly known as Mrs. Tega Amanda James has refuted a claim that she is still married to Mr. Lucky James, her ex-husband.

She said the marriage, which was contracted under the Urhobo Native Law and Custom, has been dissolved and she has moved on happily, contrary to online publications allegedly sponsored by the estranged husband.

In a statement by her counsel, Chief Malcom Omirhobo titled, “Tega Amanda is not heartbroken, she has since moved on”, the lawyer described the report as “disparaging, malicious and odious.”

He said: “We have the instruction of our client to clear the air and put the records straight.

“It is true to fact that Mr. James defrauded our client and was remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kirikiri Apapa Lagos and prosecuted at the Ikeja Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba Lagos State for assault, stealing and obtaining by false pretence via charge number MIK/E/61/22 in which we held watching brief for our client.

“It is also true to fact that our client withdrew the above case based on the plea of her ex-husband and family members for him not to go to jail and more compelling for her was the fact that he just lost his mother.”

He said it is unfortunate that the same man is now bragging and has gone to town peddling falsehood to boost his ego.

According to him, even after withdrawing the case and giving peace a chance, the man further defrauded, which prompted her to quit the marriage for good this year, and returned his dowry in accordance with the customs and tradition of Urhobo people.

“In this circumstance, let this serve as public notice that our client is no longer Mr. Lucky James’ wife and has since moved on with her life.

“Our client has since found love somewhere else and will be tying the knot anytime soon, but her parasitic, pathetic ex-husband will not let her be.

“Ruing his loss of all the opportunities, love, care, homeliness and financial support our client offered him, he has sought solace in the media trying all means to be noticed.

“Our client will no longer tolerate or spare him for his folly and warns that if he refuses, fail or neglect to take to wise counsel, she will be constrained to press charges against him for forgery and conversion as she will, without restraint, expose him for forging her signature and that of her daughter at the Corporate Affairs Commission, removing them as directors and shareholders of her company and also stealing from her company’s account,” he declared.

He warned that he cannot hide under the plea of the defence of double jeopardy because the charge MIK/E/61/22 was dismissed upon the application of the complaint, since there is a different case of forgery, stealing and conversion that can be activated against him, if he fails to stop constituting himself into a public nuisance.

When contacted, Mr James denied the allegations, saying they are completely false.

He said Mrs Tega is not legally married to him.

He admitted that the charge she orchestrated against him was dismissed by the court, adding that he didn’t defraud her.

“There is even no marriage between us. I realised that she had been using me and all my investments. She plotted it with her lawyer. I don’t know what they both have, but, while in America, I have been sending money to her for a property investment that she introduced me to.

“So, coming to see the kind of person that she is, I have to decide that I cannot be married to this kind of person. So, there is no fraud, she’s lying,” he declared.

According to him, she didn’t leave the marriage because he first walked out of it. “I am the one who went to her family to say that I am not marrying her again. Thank God I have never,” he claimed.

James also denied committing forgery and stealing from her, but rather claimed it was her that forged a marriage certificate, and changed her daughter’s birth certificate to his name without his consent, for which he has already petitioned the Police in Zone 2.