Woman seeks divorce after 35 years, says she no longer loves husband

A housewife, Hadiza Abdullahi, has asked a Shari’a Court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, to dissolve her 35-year marriage to Isa Usman, saying she no longer loves him.

Abdullahi, through her lawyer, Abubakar Suleiman, requested divorce through Khul’i, a form of Islamic divorce in which a wife seeks release from marriage by returning her dowry.

Suleiman told the court that N1,000 was paid as Abdullahi’s dowry and that she was prepared to return the money to her husband.

However, Usman’s lawyer, I.T. Sanusi, said his client could not remember the exact amount paid but insisted it was more than N1,000.

Sanusi asked the court to allow his client to establish the actual dowry amount and also requested N300,000.

“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 said.

The judge, Malam Yakubu Abdullahi, adjourned the case until September 2 for the complainant to provide evidence confirming the dowry paid.