A councilor representing Bassa ward in Shiroro council of Niger State, Ramatu Magaji, has filled a suit against her estranged husband, Mr. Amos Danladi, over custody of their only daughter.
Daily Independent last year reported that the Minna-based furniture maker/farmer, Mr. Amos Danladi, accused Shiroro council chairman, Alhaji Adamu Goggo Erena, of abducting his wife.
Danladi had in a petition to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Iseghohi, dated October 16, 2008, sought the intervention of the police and other relevant government agencies to save his marriage from the council chairman.
Danladi also exhibited documents duly signed by relevant authorities on February 29, 1994, at First Baptist Church, Tudun Baturiya, Bassa, by Rev. Zachariah Maiangua, to buttress his lawful marriage with Ramatu.
The marriage lasted for about 14 years before it was purportedly separated by a Sharia Court in Minna at the instance of the Ruth, who is now, Hajia Ramatu Magaji, produced three children; two boys and a girl.
Ramatu filled the suit which was first heard on Thursday February 5, 2009 at the Upper Sharia court sitting in Tunga area of Minna.
She is asking the court to order Danladi to release Esther, the only girl of the marriage, to her.
But Danladi is insisting that he keeps custody of all his children including Esther.
Danladi, who blamed his former wife’s woes on what he described as insatiable want and greed for material things said, "I will not allow her custody of any of my children because she will be a bad influence on them. She has no moral standing to bring up a child.
"I did not initiate the divorce in the first place but she did. Since she initiated it, backed by some people in high places against my plea, my family members and that of hers, there is no way legally or morally I will give her the child.
"How can you choose to opt out of a 14-year-old union without any form of provocation and you come back and ask for a child who is aware of how much hurt and vacuum you have made the once happy family to pass through", he queried.
He also wondered why the former wife who claimed to have professed Islam would drag him to a Sharia Court when he is not a Muslim.
"By virtue of being a Christian," Amos, said, "Sharia court where the messenger claimed to have come from, asking me to come with my daughter, makes me to doubt the genuineness of the message."