A Kaduna housewife, Mrs. Bilkisu Ismail, on Monday took her husband, Abubakar Salisu, before a Shari’a Court in Magajin Gari over his alleged failure to provide her with a place to live.
Ismail told the court she had been staying at her parents’ house for the past five years and wanted the court to clarify the state of their marriage.
“Even though he provides food and takes care of me when I’m sick, I need to be in my husband’s house. Therefore, he should provide the house by the end of this month or divorce me,” she said.
In his defence, Salisu denied the claim that his wife had spent five years at her parents’ home, insisting it was only three years. He explained that he had previously purchased a house in Rigasa, but she refused to move in because she disliked the area.
According to him, the Rigasa property was sold and another one bought in Hayin Danmani, which is currently undergoing renovations. He asked the court to grant him three months to complete the work.
The presiding judge, Malam Kabir Muhammad, faulted Salisu’s actions, stating that under Islamic law, leaving a wife in her parents’ home for even three months was a serious offence, let alone years.
The judge then asked Ismail if she would accept the three-month timeline. She agreed but warned that if her husband failed to move her into the new house at the end of the period, she would seek a divorce.
The case was adjourned to November 10 for Salisu to report on the completion of the house.
