Court order Woman to Refund Bride Price 30 Days into Marriage

A Kaduna Sharia Court on Wednesday dissolved the marriage between one Maryam Ahmed and Sanusi Idris of Maje Village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, after barely 30 days of the marriage.
The court also directed Maryam to refund N25,000 paid to her as dowry by Idris in addition to returning clothes presented to her for the marriage.
Maryam,16, had prayed the court to dissolve her marriage to Idris, 27, after just 30 days into the marriage because of a lack of interest in Idris.
She told the court that she would refund the dowry after the dissolution of the marriage.

In his submission, Maryam’s guardian, Malam Ahmed Maje, told the court that Idris had paid N25,000 as dowry.
Idris, however, claimed that he paid N45,000 as dowry to Maryam and not N25,000, explaining that he also paid N16,000 as compensation to one of Maryam’s suitors.
He said further that he provided N35,000 to Maryam for clothing and an additional N45,000, which she requested for to purchase other materials for the marriage.
Idris said that unless the money he spent on Maryam was returned, he would not grant her the divorce.
In his judgement, the Khadi, Malam Ibrahim Inuwa, said that a woman could seek divorce provided that “she is sane, mature and not under any duress or influence”.
He, subsequently, dissolved the marriage.