A woman has shared her experience after witnessing a woman being returned to her father by her husband and his family.
According to the Facebook user, the wife had been enduring infidelity and abuse, yet chose to stay.
However, on July 25, her husband allegedly packed all her belongings and took to her father’s home in Port Harcourt to return her.
Her father and brothers asked them to bring her back to the village where they married her traditionally.
The husband and his family obliged and did that this week.
However, what they did not expect was for the family to immediately return the bride price, sever the union, and collect their daughter back, alongside the children she had in the marriage.
Immediately this happened, the husband’s family reportedly started begging and said they did not want a dissolution of the marriage. They claim they hoped that by returning her and her belongings, the wife’s family would call a meeting at a later time to help the couple resolve their issues.
However, when the wife’s family insisted they were no longer giving their daughter back, the husband and his family asked for the children but the wife’s family refused, allegedly stating that, with the bride price returned, the children now belong to their mother’s family, according to their culture, and the man’s family can only take them back by fulfilling some traditional rites to “marry” the children with the approval of their mother’s family.
The woman who narrated the story wrote: ‘Yesterday, I witnessed a father’s love for his child. I saw a father who stood straight, unflinched, held his daughter’s hand said, You’re home Ngozi!
‘He held those tears and waited until the house was filled with the people he loved before he broken down crying…
‘I saw a father holding his children and crying and telling them, No one will die in marriage…
‘So here’s a little background story.. Domestic violence. Abuse. Cruelty of the highest order. Infidelity laced with infections..
‘Forgiveness was always preached, yet there was no repentance.
‘Back to back abuse… She stayed. We talked, she wanted to fix a SHATTERED VASE. Religion was doing the most with, you can’t. Fix it and pray.
‘3kids. 4 miscarriages from abuse. 15yrs martial exploit. Years of layered abuse.
‘The husband woke up on the 25th of July while she was away at work, packed her belongings with the aid of his family members and took them to her father’s house in Port Harcourt to drop…
‘On getting to her father’s house, he was stopped by her brothers and uncles..
‘They asked him if he got married to her in port Harcourt? He said no!
‘They said, bring her back with the load to the place you asked her hand in marriage..
‘See, when the gods of the land wants to punish you, they will use your uncles as spokes men to administer madness to you.
‘A date was fixed which was yesterday.
Her father and kinsmen where waiting.
‘Her things were packed, I saw my girl yesterday.. I saw her holding still. I saw those eyes asking those silent questions.
‘We got, to her village. Her family was waiting for their daughter.. A daughter who wasn’t brought in a casket, but ALIVE!
‘I saw tradition yesterday.
‘At the entrance of her father’s house, the oldest member of her kinsmen, broke cola, he handed the cola to the person representing the husbands family members.. He took the cola. The next thing was a brown envelop oh. He took it before he released what was inside. The man broke a calabash of palm wine immediately too. It was fast. Very fast.
‘The chiefs and elders from the man’s side where confused.
‘They thought, it was just to return her things until, just maybe they settle again.
This wasn’t the first pack and go episode…
‘This was the silencer. Her people where ready.
‘The father walked to the gate, took his daughter’s hand and grandkids and he said.
‘Adanne, ka! He turned to his in-laws and said, Thank you for not bringing her in a body bag.
‘He walked in with his family and the gate was closed in the face of those standing outside.
‘There was no welcome or room for negotiations. It was a Bye Felicia reception.
‘My friends father is a widower. He has raised his kids all by himself and never remarried.
‘He lost his wife and 2nd son in a motor accident, man be doing both duties.. He wasn’t ready to bury another person yet
‘He Said Ada daddy, bata n’ime. Adanne iriela nri?
‘It was that very moment he asked her Ada Esther ka m’hu iru gi, he broke down in tears..
‘Oh he cried oh while holding his children….
‘I stepped out and cried too. Because MAKAGNI will do same if Any of his children are in that nonsense Situation….
‘Outside the gate there was Commotion and the boys and community youth held still. They did good!.
‘The father was asking for his children, oh let me tell you the tradition there, when bride price is returned the children belongs the wife’s family..
‘If you want your children, you have to come and marry them and that’s if the family is willing oh.
‘I came back home knowing my friend is loved and well.
‘She called me this morning and said, Babe I slept in my father’s arms and for the first time in years, I’m okay!’
