By Emmanuel Nduka
Aliyu Usman and Sadiya Ibrahim, two repentant commercial sex workers in the Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria, have been joined together as husband and wife by the Hisbah department of the state’s Shariah Commission.
The solemnisation of their union was held in a brothel at Bayangari area of Bauchi metropolis, an area which was a red district area of the state capital, during the flag-off of the empowerment training of 575 commercial sex workers by the state Government, through the Hisbah department.
As expected, the event had in attendance dignitaries, including the Deputy Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Danlami Kawule, Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Umar Kesa, and other top government officials, as well as officials of the Shariah Commission and many other commercial sex workers.
The Commissioner for Religious Affairs gave approval for the joining of the couple after listening to the representative of the groom, while Kawule paid the N50,000 dowry on behalf of the groom.
Chairman of the Shariah Commission, Sheikh Mustapha Baban-Illela, who joined the couple together, said no one forced the couple on each other, and that they were joined together as a couple with the consent of the bride’s parents.
He added that the wedding was conducted after the couple had undergone a series of medical tests, which confirmed them to be healthy and fit to be husband and wife.
Speaking on behalf of the newly wedded couple, the groom expressed appreciation to the State Government, the Deputy Speaker, as well as the Shariah Commission and all those present at the event for their efforts and contributions towards making their dream of getting married a reality.
He declared that both of them had repented of the old way of life, vowing that, “by the grace of Allah, from today, we have repented from what we were doing before and we will change for good.”
