I will not grant my wife divorce until she pays me N3.5m, businessman tells court

A businessman, Alhaji Murtala Adamu, on Thursday prayed a Gudu Grade II Court not to grant his estranged wife’s  request for divorce until  she returns the N3.5 million he so far spent on her.
Adamu made the request during a divorce proceedings to end his one year marriage to Layisatu Abubakar.
He said that he would not divorce Abubakar until his conditions are met.
Abubakar filed a case against Adamu on the basis of ‘Khul’, (also called Khula, is a procedure through which a woman can divorce her husband in Islam, by returning the dower).
In his testimony before the court, Adamu claimed that the petitioner only stayed in his house for nine days when they got married after which she ran away to her friend’s house in Jos.
He also said that it was until she fell ill that her mother called him so that he could pay for her treatments.
During his testimony, Adamu calculated the total amount he spent on the petitioner.
“My lord, I spent N1. 2 million during our wedding ceremony which includes her dowry of N80,000. I bought clothes, jewelry and shoes worth N500,000.
”I also paid N750,000 for her treatment when she was sick.
“Before I will agree to this divorce, she must refund all these money to me,” he said.
In her statement to the court, Abubakar said that she left her husband of nine days because an evil spirit was disturbing her.
”All the things he bought for me are still in his house.
”I cannot afford to return more than the N80,000 which he paid as my dowry.” she said.
The Judge, Ado Muktar adjourned the case until July 2 for judgement.