Plateau court dissolves 7-year-old marriage, husband left when wife got ill

A Jos Area Court sitting in Nassarawa Gwong has dissolved a 7-year-old marriage between Sumaiya Muhammad and her husband, Bala Usman.

Muhammad had pleaded with the court to dissolve her marriage, saying that her husband, deserted her when she was ill and staying with her parents.

Muhammad accused Usman of failure to provide for the family for three years since she fell ill.

The Judge, Ishaq Danjuma, dissolved the marriage on Wednesday on grounds of desertion. He said all efforts to reconcile the parties failed.

The judge ordered the petitioner, Muhammed, to refund N50,000 only to the respondent, being the dowry Usman paid by way of Khul’l (dissolution of the marriage bond at the instance of the wife) according to Islamic law and procedure.

Danjuma further granted the petitioner custody of their children.

He however said the respondent is allowed to visit the children at appropriate times of the day without any hindrance.