Court orders woman to breastfeed baby for 20 months instead of returning N80k dowry

 

A Sharia court sitting in Rigasa, Kaduna state, has ordered one Bilkisu Abdullahi, a nursing mother, to breastfeed her two-month-old daughter for 20 months in order to waive the return of the sum of N80,000 which her estranged husband paid as dowry.

 

According to NAN, Salisu Abubakar-Tureta, the judge, gave the order after the complainant asked the court to dissolve her marriage to her husband, Abdullahi Adamu, through khul’i.

 

According to Islamic law, under khul’i, a woman may divorce her husband, if he refuses either by initiating the process in a court, or by mutual consent of both parties and their representatives; the woman is expected to repay her dowry and marriage expenses.

 

Represented by Sagir Salisu, her counsel, the complainant told the court that she received N80,000 as dowry from the defendant, but wants to breastfeed their daughter for 20 months instead of returning the money.

 

The defendant was, however, absent in court and was not represented by a lawyer.

 

Delivering judgement, Abubakar-Tureta said the court would proceed with the hearing in accordance with Order 9, Rule 3 of the Shari’a civil procedure rules.

 

“I hereby dissolve the union between Abdullahi Adamu and Bilkisu Adamu through khul’i and she will breastfeed her daughter for 20 months,” the judge was quoted to have said.

 

 “Anyone who is not okay with the ruling can appeal to the upper Shari’a court within 30 days.”