Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
In a cautionary tale of love gone wrong and lies gone too far, a 50-year-old Ibadan housewife has been sentenced to one year in a correctional centre for forging a marriage certificate she tendered in court in a desperate bid to stop her husband from divorcing her. The Mapo Grade 'A' Customary Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, handed down the conviction on Friday, August 14, 2026, after the woman, Bolanle Adeyemo, pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful possession and forgery of a marriage certificate. The case has drawn attention to the dangers of falsifying court documents and the lengths to which some individuals will go to salvage failing marriages.
The saga began on March 26, 2026, when Bolanle's husband, 55-year-old Adeboye Adeyemo, filed a divorce suit against her, citing persistent misunderstandings between them. Determined to save her marriage, Bolanle appeared before the court and insisted that her union with Adeboye was valid and should not be dissolved. To substantiate her claim, she produced a marriage certificate dated September 12, 1996, which she claimed proved the legitimacy of their marriage. However, her husband immediately challenged the authenticity of the document, arguing that no such certificate had ever been issued to them.
The dispute over the certificate prompted the court to order a thorough police investigation to unravel the truth. The prosecutor, Inspector Ayodele Ayeni, told the court that the investigation revealed that the Ibadan North Local Government registry, which was listed on the certificate as the issuing authority, denied ever issuing any marriage certificate to Bolanle. The document, the prosecution established, was a fake. The offences were said to contravene Sections 516, 465 and 430 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, Volume II, Laws of Oyo State 2000.
Delivering judgment, the President of the court, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, said she convicted and sentenced Bolanle based on her guilty plea and the evidence tendered against her by the prosecution. Akintayo noted that the court exercised its discretion in sentencing Bolanle, having pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against her. She sentenced Bolanle to one year in the correctional centre for each of counts two and three, with an option of one month of community service for the offences of unlawful possession and forgery of a marriage certificate. The court, however, discharged the convict of the first count of conspiracy.
The case has sparked widespread discussion about the consequences of forgery in legal proceedings, particularly in matrimonial disputes. Bolanle's attempt to save her marriage has now resulted in a criminal conviction and a prison sentence, turning what began as a personal tragedy into a public cautionary tale. For Adeboye Adeyemo, who had sought to dissolve his marriage through legal means, the outcome has been a validation of his claims and a stark reminder of the importance of truth in the pursuit of justice.
As Bolanle begins her sentence, the case serves as a warning to others who might consider falsifying documents in court: the law is unforgiving, and the price of deceit can be steep. What started as a desperate attempt to preserve a marriage has ended in a conviction that will forever mark the lives of both parties involved.
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