Case of the Nigerian Man With 86 Wives at the Same Time

The Case of the Nigerian Man With 86 Wives at the Same Time

Author: Emeka Esogbue

Nigerians are really having it exciting at present thrilled by the Upper Court and arraigned Mallam Muhammed Bello Abubakar Masaba now famously known as the man with 86 wives. The man with 86 wives is a Nigerian residing in Bida, Niger state aged 84 years. The Upper Sharia Court has arraigned Masaba and slammed a three-count charge on him which are insulting and contempt of religious creed, deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage ceremony without lawful marriage.

The case makes an interesting one not only to Nigerians but religious pundits as well because Masaba is viewed as a transgressor of religious obligations and peremptorily asked to divorce 82 of his wives which to me represents more than 96% of his priced inestimable jewels. Masaba has constantly and rigidly maintained that marrying 86 wives is his rights which needs not be violated, interestingly all of these happy wives of his have at the same time carried placards to guide their own and protect their marriage from the Niger State Court. The Sharia Court appears to be protecting these many wives of Masaba but the many wives are insisting that they do not require any form of protection because they happily entered into the marriage.

This business and possible interference from the state which is part of the larger Nigerian state is thoroughly amazing because none of the 86 wives of Masaba brought any argument to the door steps of the court or the police seeking for divorce yet there is a case lingering in court in determination of divorce not about to hit the rocks and lawfully entered into too by reason of proper and legal marriages as recognized by the families of the wives and the society.

Well the whole story associated with 86 wives at a time may not be a light one if you take into consideration that the man with 86 wives was arrested by three truck loads of armed policemen at about 400pm on Monday September 18, 2008 (See The Guardian Sunday October 19, 2008) though his wives were left behind. His charges were read out to him by Barr Adamu Usman the Niger State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in an offence according to the court is contrary to sections 210, 383 and 386 of the Penal code respectively.

The business and intervention of the state of Niger which is part of the Nigeria state on a non existent matter or course not brought to it by any involved party is what raises questions here. Should a state not operating under the religious laws dictate to a man how many wives he should marry legally and illegally? This is puzzling indeed. Since when has it become our constitutional requirement or concern on how many wives a woman happy man should take to? That the Niger State Upper Sharia Court in seeking to achieve its aims used the official Agencies of the state and that of Federal Republic of Nigeria such as the Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice and truck loads of policeman in pursuing to divorce a happily married couple is also disturbing and ridiculous. One cannot but laugh and at the same time marvel endlessly.

It also raises question on whether Christianity, Islam and African Religion have become the official religion of Nigeria or Niger State. Where does this court hope to prove that Masaba’s wives are unhappy? Does a Court dissolve a marriage in which the parties and offerings are happy? How enforceable is the outcome of this judgment if the state gets one? Is this a criminal or civil offence? How can this offence be adequately defined? Help me to answer these questions.

Excitingly I am one of millions of people awaiting this landmark judgment because some of the children of this man are by far older than most of their father’s captors and Masaba who has suffered untold humiliation in the hands of his captors which all began after the busy-body British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) revelation that Masaba was a compulsive polygamist with 86 wives at the time.

Please join me in following up with this matter, I shall keep you posted.   

Article Source: Link

About the Author:

Emeka Esogbue hails from Ibusa, Delta State, Nigeria. He is a Historian and International Relations graduate and Public Affairs commentator with lots of tremendous published and unpublished works.



emekaesogbue@yahoo.com