Court dissolves Ganduje daughter’s 16-year-old marriage

The Sharia court in Kano on Thursday dissolved the 16-year-old marriage between Asiya-Balaraba Ganduje, daughter to the governor of Kano, and Inuwa Uba.

Delivering a ruling, Abdullahi Halliru, the judge of the upper Sharia court, said the marriage was dissolved through Khul’i (divorce by Islamic means).

“The conditions the respondent earlier raised before the court should be based on Islamic Sunnah on Khul’i,” the judge said.

Halliru also ordered the plaintiff to return the N50,000 paid as dowry by the respondent.

“Khul’i is strictly based on returning the dowry given to a woman, the condition should not affect her in anyway especially in giving out her wealth,” the judge added.

Ibrahim Aliyu-Nassarawa, the counsel to the petitioner, told the court that his client insists on returning the N50,000 bride price received from her husband in exchange for the divorce.

The petitioner was in court seeking the dissolution of her marriage through Islamic means (Khul’i) as she claimed to be tired and fed up with Inuwa.

“Every woman who is living under strange conditions has a right under Islamic law to approach the court and seek for her marriage to be dissolved with the condition to return the dowry,” the petitioner said.

On his part, Umar I. Umar, the counsel to the respondent, said the issue is beyond the payment of the N50,000 dowry.

“The respondent has four kids with the plaintiff, but all efforts to reconcile them proved abortive” Umar said.

He gave two conditions regarding some of his belongings.

According to Umar, the plaintiff should return all his client credentials, house certificates, cars and relinquish her rights in their joint rice company before he divorces her.