Kaduna Businessman Drags Ex-Wife to Shari'a Court Over Two-Year Post-Divorce Property Occupation

A dramatic legal battle has unfolded at the Magajin Gari Shari’a Court in Kaduna State, where a prominent local businessman, Alhaji Dauda Dahiru, has dragged his ex-wife, Rabi’atu Suleiman, before the court. According to court filings, the complainant is seeking judicial intervention to compel his former spouse to vacate his residential building, an occupation she has allegedly maintained for over two years after their marriage was officially dissolved.

Representing the complainant, legal counsel Hassan Sadisu argued that the continuous occupation of the property by the defendant is unlawful and constitutes a direct infringement on his client's property rights. Sadisu informed the court that the union between the two parties was dissolved in accordance with Islamic rites, and under normal legal and religious parameters, the ex-wife was expected to have relocated after her mandatory waiting period (Iddah).

In her defense, Rabi’atu Suleiman did not deny her refusal to pack out of the residence. Instead, she presented a stiff counter-demand, insisting that the complainant must fulfill certain financial and welfare obligations before she vacates. Specifically, she requested that the court order her ex-husband to secure an alternative apartment for her and pay five years' rent in advance, citing her current financial vulnerability and her status as the mother of his children.