60-Year-Old Woman Seeks Divorce, Cites Loss Of Affection

A 60-year-old housewife, Hadiza Abdullahi, has asked a Shari’a Court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, to dissolve her 35-year marriage, citing loss of affection for her husband.

Abdullahi, through her lawyer, Abubakar Suleiman, told the court on Wednesday that she was no longer in love with her husband, Isa Usman, and could not continue with the marriage.

She requested that the court grant her divorce through Khul’i, a form of Islamic divorce in which a wife seeks release from the marriage, typically by returning the dowry paid by her husband.

Suleiman said his client had been married to Usman for 35 years and was prepared to return the N1,000 she claimed was paid as her dowry.

However, Usman, through his lawyer, I.T. Sanusi, disputed the amount, saying he could not recall the exact dowry but was certain it was more than N1,000.

Sanusi asked the court to grant his client N300,000, while requesting time to establish the actual amount paid as the dowry.

“I pray the court to give us time to present the exact amount that was paid as the complainant’s dowry and reasons why Usman should be paid N300,000,” he told the court.

The judge, Malam Yakubu Abdullahi, adjourned the case until September 2 to enable the complainant present evidence confirming the amount paid as her dowry.