A lawyer has argued that giving a bride price list to a groom and his family is illegal since it is not within the laws of Nigeria. In Nigeria, many cultures have a practice whereby the bride’s family hands a written list containing various items of gifts which the groom must bring or pay for in cash.
The lawyer insists the bride price list is a scam. Photo credit: TikTok/@toplaw.ng.Source: TikTok
As soon as the groom makes his intention known to the bride’s family and their intended union is approved by each family, the groom gets a list of items he must bring to the bride’s family.
In some cases, the groom is even required to pay money and visit the bride’s family with gallons of palm wine before the list would be given to him.
Having collected the list, the groom is expected to go back home, consult with his family and also study the list before coming back.
When coming back to the bride’s family, he is expected to bring all or most of the things listed for him.
However, a lawyer has said this practice is village and that it was designed to extort money from the groom.
According to Emenike Chioke Esq., human rights lawyer and managing partner, Toplaw and Attorneys, the law only supports bride price payment, not list.
According to the lawyer, issuing a bride price list is illegal. Photo credit: TikTok/@toplaw.ng.Source: TikTok
Why bride price list is a scam
He told TheTalk.NG:
“Pride price list is a scam because the true traditional bride price is not spelt out or stated in any document. It is an unwritten custom whereby an intending groom presents gifts and a token of money as a show of honor and goodwill to the family of the intending bride according to his capacity. The practice of writing various cash sums and items in a document and calling it “marriage list” is not the traditional marriage practice, but an avenue of extortion by the kindred of the bride.”
He insisted that the bride price itself is not expensive as it is as low as N60 in some cultures.
His words:
“Bride price, which is a symbolic “token” handed over to the father of the bride by the groom is a valid and lawful customary marriage practice, but the issue of “list” whereby items and cash prices worth millions of Naira is alien to our customary marriage practice, and is totally outlawed by the Traditional Marriage Laws of various states which prescribes that bride price is a token of sixty naira (N60) or like sum, and the law is still valid.”
Issuance of bride price list not supported by law
He argued that the idea of listing out some items to be brought by the group is a scam and is not supported by customary marriage law.
He said:
“Bride Price varies from community to community, kindred to kindred. But it’s is generally similar in the sense that it is always a symbolic token of money. In the Traditional Marriage Law of Anambra and Enugu states, bride price is Sixty Naira. In Benue State , it is One Thousand Naira (N1,000). In some other communities, it’s N200, N100 etc. And it is not even a fixed price because it is just a token of kind gesture symbolic of acceptance of the groom, and handing over of the bride. The groom can only his own volition go ahead and celebrate the marriage by calling a feast or a party. But the idea of stipulating unending lists of items and cash prizes is not a marriage custom, it is fraud and daylight robbery, because maidens are not sold to the groom.”
Bride price is supported by law but list is not
The lawyer said bride price is legal but “list” is not and is only manufactured to extort money by the bride’s family.
He said:
“Bride price is legal and the most vital aspect of a customary marriage. But “list” is illegal and unlawful. Customary marriage is complete upon payment of bride price and handing over of the bride to the groom. After payment of bride price, the customary marriage is complete. There is therefore no need for any other requirement such as fulfillment of other requirements in any so-called “list”. The elders and kindred know this as a fact, hence, they usually refuse to accept the bride price until the list is fraudulently imposed and the groom compelled to fulfill those conditions.”
Emenike said if a couple chooses to do a customary marriage alone, everything is legally complete even if a church wedding was not done.
He said:
“The Marriage Act regulates Statutory marriage. Statutory marriage is what people refer to as “court marriage”. With N25,000-N40,000 , one can contract a statutory/court marriage in Nigeria. It is simple and not costly. Hence a lot of families refuse allowing their daughters to first contract statutory marriage with the groom, in order to give themthe opportunity to extort the said groom with “list”. A man who contracts statutory marriage with a woman at the marriage registry is fully and legally married, without any further need for any customary marriage.”
The lawyer said there was no need for a list, insisting it does not exist anywhere in the laws of the country.
He told TheTalk.NG:
“In the same vein, a man that pays the bride price of a woman or even a girl is fully and legally married, without any further need for fulfillment of any “list” requirements or any need for any other statutory marriage. If one chooses customary marriage, it is enough. If one chooses statutory marriage, it is also enough. There’s nothing like “church marriage”. Both customary or statutory marriage can be celebrated in a church.”
Lawyer speaks on UNIZIK saga
In a related story, TheTalk.NG reported that a Nigerian lawyer said it is possible for Goddy Precious Mbakwe to take the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka to court.
Emenike Chioke Esq, a human rights Lawyer, and managing partner at Toplaw and Attorneys made this known to TheTalk.NG.
However, he said Precious would have to prove that her reaction and how she attacked the lecturer was not misconduct.
Source: TheTalk.NG
