Nigeria woman sues father for attempted forced marriage

A 20-year-old woman identified as Fatima has taken her father to a Shari’a Court in Kaduna State in Nigeria because he forced her to marry a stranger.

Fatima had explained to her father that she was in love with another person, but her father, Aliyu Muhammad, threatened to take her to the village and marry her off, according to local media reports.

Fatima's lawyer, Malam Bulama said that the woman was not suing the father out of disrespect for him.

The father told the court that his late parents had chosen the groom for his daughter when they were alive and he wanted to respect their wishes.

Judge Malam Aiyeku Abdulrahman ruled that while the father has the right to choose a husband for his daughter, forced marriage was not encouraged.

“You are her father, therefore you should allow her to present the person she wants to marry and if you are pleased with his religion and character, you allow her to get married,” the court held.