18-year-old nursing mother drags lover to court for declining marriage

An 18-year-old nursing mother, Maryam Magaji, on Wednesday dragged one Badamasi Salihu, 20, whom she claimed was her lover, to a Sharia Court at Magajin Gari, Kaduna, for refusing to marry her.

She told the court that Salihu dated her for a year and promised to marry her, only to turn his back on her after getting her pregnant.


According to her, she had earlier reported the matter to the district head of their community where the defendant accepted the pregnancy and agreed to marry her after delivery.

“I reported the matter to our district head, and he agreed to marry me after I deliver but he denied me after giving birth to his child saying he cannot marry me,” the complainant lamented.

Maryam begged the court to compel the defendant to accept the three weeks old baby she was nursing.

In his response, the defendant denied the claim, saying his relationship with her was that of a friend.

“She normally comes to my shop where we gist, crack jokes and laugh which made me attached to her, I see her as a friend that’s all,” Salihu told the court.

He also denied being responsible for Maryam’s pregnancy, saying the child she was nursing wasn’t his.

The judge, Malam Musa Sa’ad, requested the two parties to present their guardians and witnesses in court.

The case was adjourned till March 26, to enable the two parties present their witnesses.