Husband demands a refund of N486,000 (£1,200) wedding expenses after marriage failure

A 40-year-old man pleaded with a court in Gudu, Abuja, to compel his wife, Mariam to refund N486, 000 (about £1200) expenses he incurred during their wedding.

Modibo Surajo told the court that he demanded a refund of his wedding expenses because his wife had often lived outside their matrimonial home since they got married in 2011.

Surajo said his marriage to his other wife – Mariam produced a son but the respondent recently fled to Kaduna State to stay with her Uncle, Ismaila Alhiru.

According to him, the respondent has never stayed for three whole months in his house without running away since they got married.

Surajo explained that the respondent insisted that he should get another accommodation for her and should divorce his first wife before she could stay married to him, in his house.  A request which he said he would not grant.

“You can get married to a woman from the city and she would stay with her husband in the village peacefully, so if she is no longer interested in the marriage I want her to refund N140, 000 which I spent on the wedding.”  Surajo continued, “She should also refund the N20,000 I paid as her dowry, I gave her friends N25,000, gave her a gift of N20,000, transportation to Niger Republic and also from Kaduna to Abuja at N120, 000.

“I hired two cars at N16,000, Asoebi at N75, 000, I sent two people to her at N30, 000 and gave her father N150, 000 which is a total of N486, 000, I want her to refund all these money,” he said.

In her response, Mariam said she did not ask Surajo to divorce his wife, but only asked him to get another apartment for her as the petitioner’s wife made the matrimonial home unbearable.

“I did not tell the plaintiff that I am no longer interested in our marriage, I left the house because his wife disturbs me with trouble and I do not know anybody in Abuja that was why I went to Kaduna State where my uncle resides.

“It is left for the petitioner to choose between getting an apartment for me or me not returning to the house as I am suffering,” she said.

The Presiding judge, Alhaji Imam Isah, adjourned the case till April 7 for further hearing.