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Christian Man Alleges Plot By Lawyer To End Marriage To Muslim Wife In Adamawa State

September 30, 2020

In the petition, Umaru alleged that one Bello Bakari, a Muslim lawyer, had disrupted his marriage with a view to taking over his Muslim wife, Amina.

A Christian man, Istifanus Umaru, has petitioned the police, Department of State Services and Chief Judge of Adamawa State alleging conspiracy to end his marriage to his Muslim wife.

In the petition, Umaru alleged that one Bello Bakari, a Muslim lawyer, had disrupted his marriage with a view to taking over his Muslim wife, Amina.

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He further alleged that Bakari being a Fulani man had openly threatened to unleash the Fulani militia on him in a bid to end the marriage; insisting that he was not entitled to marry Amina on the grounds of religious difference. 

The petition seen by SaharaReporters reads in parts, "I am the husband of Amina Istifanus Umaru to whom I am legally married under the marriage act for the period of four years. The marriage was consummated at the Marriage Registry in Yola.

"That my wife had been into extramarital affairs with Bello Bakari for quite a long period of time and it came to my knowledge recently when I caught them making suspicious phone calls."

Umaru further said following this incident, he confronted Bakari on why he was making night calls with his wife, to which he apologised but invited him to discuss the matter.

He said, "At his office on September 21, 2020, Bakari told me he was engaged by the Muslim Council to interfere in my marriage with Amina and that the Christian Association of Nigeria was aware of the move.

"I replied that my marriage was needing no intervention from any of the two religious bodies he mentioned; I also told him our marriage was done at a court and if there were any problems only a court can address it.

"Yet he threatened and intimidated me to give up the marriage on account of my religious difference with my wife. He cited the violent clashes between farmers and herders, stressing that the Fulani race was ready to end my marriage at all cost.

"As it is, Bakari has forcibly taken away my wife and despite the provocation, I refused to react because of the religious coloration the matter was taking."

He revealed that both the police and DSS had declined to act on his petition despite its potential to ignite religious tension.

He has also accused Bakari of forging a court order restraining him from interfering with his wife's life and privacy.

When contacted, Bakari denied the allegation, explaining that he was briefed by the lady's relations, who informed him that both Umaru and Amina were not legally married but merely cohabiting.