A 34-year-old divorcee, Maryam Umar, on Thursday prayed the Magajin Gari Shari’a Court in Kaduna to grant her custody of her seven-year-old daughter.

The complainant told the court that her former husband, Abubakar Ishaq, took the child to his mother after he divorced her in 2020.

She told the court that her former husband allows her to see their daughter once a year.

“There is no talk of reconciliation between my former husband and my guardian. In fact, it is my guardian that gave me the permission to come to court,” she said.

On his part, the defendant, through his counsel, Rabiu Muhammad, said the complainant left their child with him after their separation.

“I took my child to my mother to be the caregiver. My mother returned her to me when I remarried, and I enrolled her in school. My former wife only returned looking for our daughter when my second marriage failed,” he said.

He added that during a reconciliation meeting with his former wife, her guardian told him to keep the child due to some reasons he would not mention in court.

“We are ready to present him in court to testify on the issue,” he said.

The judge, Anass Khalifa, said in cases of divorce and custody, the welfare of children is prioritised.

Mr Khalifa urged the parents to maintain peace to ensure the well-being of their children.

The judge ruled that the matter be sent to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) at the Kaduna High Court for settlement.

(NAN)