21-year Marriage Crashes As Wife Seeks Divorce

A mother of three, Ashe Wulet, has taken her husband, Hamma Hayat, to a Shari’a Court sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna, praying for divorce.

Wulet through her lawyer, Zaid Umar, told the court that she was no longer in love with her husband and could not stay in the marriage.

The complainant prayed the court to dissolve the marriage through “Khul’i”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that “Khul’i” is a divorce permissible in Islam, where a woman returns the bride price paid during the marriage or an agreed amount above or below the amount to the husband in exchange for her freedom.

Umar said his client had been married to the defendant for 21 years, adding that she could not remember the exact amount of the bride price.

The counsel explained that the couple were blessed with three children, a girl and two boys aged 19, 15 and 11 respectively.

“My client prays the court to allow her to pay N50,000 as her bride price and to compel the defendant to take responsibility for her until she completes her “Iddah” (waiting period),” he said.

On his part, the defendant, through his lawyer, M.I. Salahuddeen, said that he paid 10 gold coins as bride price during the wedding, adding that he would not accept N50,000 as refund.

He also opposed the complainant’s prayer that he should take responsibility for her after the divorce.

According to him, Wulet is currently not living with him and all efforts by Hayat to bring her back did not yield the desired result.

The judge, Malam Mu’awiyah Shehu, asked the complainant’s lawyer for the exact dowry amount.

The lawyer prayed the court to give him time to discuss and get back to court with the answer.

The judge adjourned the case to September 15, for further hearing.