Sexual scam hits Kano mass wedding

What could be described as a scandal has been recorded in the just concluded mass wedding in Kano, as one of the brides delivered a baby boy, a day after the elaborate wedding ceremony in the state.

The bride, Habiba Inusa, allegedly concealed the pregnancy to her suitor during courtship period ofthe mass wedding which involved 1,520 brides and grooms from the 44 local government areas of the state.

Mrs. Inusa allegedly stunned the residents in Gangare, the organiser of the mass wedding, in Doguwa Local Government Area, when she began labour a day after the wedding and later put to bed a bouncing baby boy.

It was also learnt that in return, the enraged groom, one Babangida, allegedly forced her out of his house with the baby.

Nigerian Pilot also gathered that the person allegedly responsible for the pregnancy, one Kamalu, fled when he got wind of the development.

Speaking at the reception organised in honour of the couples by the state government at coronation hall on February 26, the Commander General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, Aminu Daurawa, said the couples were carefully selected after undergoing series of screening.

He said the couples had undergone medical tests and the grooms showed proof of means before the board approved of the marriage.

Mr Daurawa also said the state government had paid N20,000 dowry for each of the groom, provided full furniture sets for each bride and donated the sum of N15, 000 to each of the brides for empowerment.

But when contacted on Thursday by journalists about the incident,Mr Daurawa said he was not aware of the scandal.

He, however, did not express surprise at the incident, saying the exercise was decentralised and left in the hands of politicians this time around.

Asked why he said the couples underwent medical screening on February 26, he said he was referring to the 50 couple slots given to the board headquarters.

“We were suddenly asked to provide list of the couple six months after we thoroughly screened them in conjunction with qualified medical personnel of the ministry of Health.

“Government decided to allow local governments to handle the exercise. So anything can happen,” he added.

[Nigeria Pilot]