A 25-year-old woman, Zainab Musa, on Wednesday returned the N100,000 bride price received from her husband, Musa Sani, in exchange for a divorce at Rigasa Shari’a Court, Kaduna.

The woman had earlier prayed that the court should dissolve her two-year-old marriage through the Khul’i (redemption), an Islamic ruling that gives a woman the right to redeem herself from marriage.

M.S Aliyu, who stood as neutral counsel to the parties, said efforts to reconcile the couple through their parents proved abortive.

He said, “The parents of the couple have agreed that the N100,000 dowry paid during the wedding be returned, and we have the money in cash. As for the one child they have, Zainab’s parents will accept any amount the defendant can afford as upkeep allowance.”

On his part, the husband said he still loves his wife but has no choice but to let her go since she was no longer interested in the marriage, adding that he had accepted the N100,000 bride price.

The judge, Mukhtar Aliyu, confirmed the dissolution of the marriage through Khul’i, adding that the complaint should start observing her iddah immediately.

Iddah is a waiting period that a Muslim woman observes after the death of her husband or after a divorce.

The waiting period for a divorced woman is three menstrual cycles, as one of its main purposes is to remove any doubt as to the paternity of a child born after the divorce or death of the prior husband.

The judge, thereafter, said “anyone that is not satisfied with the judgement can appeal within 30 days.”

(NAN)