Encomium
THE eight year-old marriage between Vivi, daughter of defunct Oceanic Bank CEO, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru and her husband, Aleksander Stankov have been dissolved by the court.
The High Court of Imo State presided by Honourable Justice Ngozi Opara severed the marital vows that existed between the two once-upon-a-time lover after Aleksander approached the court to seek for the dissolution of his marriage to Vivi who is the mother of his three children.
For sometime now, Vivi and Aleksander have been staying apart with Aleks accusing his wife of refusal to play the dutiful and humble wife. No one took them serious at the initial stage until the period Vivi moved out of her matrimonial home with the couple’s three children. All entreaties from families and friends to reconcile the two parties didn’t work as their dream of a beautiful future together came crashing down.
Vivi, however, is not taking the divorce issue lightly. Immediately she got notice her marriage has been dissolved at the instance of her husband, she went to court to obtain a restraining order baring her estranged husband from coming close to the children. Her prayer was reportedly granted at the Principal Registry of the Family Division in London. Her claim was that Aleks is very violent and assaults her at will.
To counter her claim, Aleksander rushed to obtain his own order granting him access to the children which he also got with condition that Vivi and her mother, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru must be there anytime Aleks makes contact with the children at an agreed date and time.
As the legal fireworks raged on, Aleksander moved to Nigeria and filed for another divorce in Imo State, Nigeria and ultimately obtained dissolution of the marriage which is what Vivi is challenging in court now. She claimed in her own petition that she was not aware of the case filed by her husband. She is in Court of Appeal to overturn the judgement of the lower court in the dissolution of the marriage, maintaining it was obtained by fraud.
Presently, Vivi is in London while the fight to reverse the judgement, especially the position which gave her estranged husband the custody of the children continues.
Aleksander Stankov and Vivi got married at Our Saviour’s Church, Lagos in 2006. Vivi’s mother, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru pulled heavyweights to the lavish wedding described as the wedding of the year. And eight years on the union has packed up.
On Friday, August 29, 2014, we sent a message to Vivi who is presently in London for her reaction. She didn’t reply till we went to press.
– FOLUSO SAMUEL
