KADUNA, Nigeria — A man’s absence due to financial strain led to the unconventional dissolution of a marriage via a phone call in a Shari’a court in Kaduna on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
Ali Abubakar, the respondent, was unable to attend court proceedings due to his inability to afford the transport fare from Abuja to Kaduna.
Despite his absence, he communicated through the court messenger, Tajuddeen Saidu, requesting the court to proceed with the hearing and grant the petitioner, his wife, Ajinomo Ohunenene-Ummi, her wishes.
Ohunenene-Ummi had sought to redeem herself from the marriage, expressing readiness to return the N50,500 dowry paid by Abubakar.
Represented by her counsel, Nafisa Ibrahim, she also requested the court to grant her custody of their one-year-old daughter and a monthly feeding allowance of N20,000 from the defendant.
Judge Abdulrahman Isiyaku instructed Saidu and Ohunenene-Ummi to reach out to Abubakar by phone to hear his response to the claims.
Saidu reported that Abubakar had consented to both the divorce and child custody but proposed to pay a reduced monthly feeding allowance of N10,000.
Furthermore, Abubakar suggested that the N50,500 dowry be used as a five-month feeding allowance for their child.
Upon the court’s inquiry, Ohunenene-Ummi agreed to Abubakar’s proposal.
Judge Isiyaku proceeded to dissolve the marriage through Khul’i (redemption) and authorized Ohunenene-Ummi to use the dowry refund to provide for the child for the next five months.
The judge also ordered Abubakar to continue supporting the child’s health, clothing, and education needs until she reaches school age.
This unique case brings to light the impact of financial hardship on the accessibility of legal proceedings and underlines the importance of creative judicial responses to ensure justice is served.
