Nigerian Woman Returns Bride Price by Bank Transfer

A young Nigerian woman has taken to social media to share how she resorted to a bank transfer to return her bride price, after her estranged husband refused to accept it from her family.

Ugwu Tessy, who says she is now 23, married in 2020 at around age 17.

The marriage produced three children before it ended in divorce.

Since their separation nine months ago, in January, she says her ex-husband has not contributed financially to the children's upkeep.

In a Facebook post, Tessy recounted a phone conversation she had with her ex-husband about their children's needs.

‘I called my ex-husband for us to have a conversation & talk maturely like adults that we are concerning our 3 kids that since January 9 months we divorced he hasn't sent a dime shi-shi kobo for 3 whole kids down from school fees, feeding, medications, clothing, etc nothing nothing,’ she wrote.

She said her ex-husband made his position clear despite having the means to help.

‘He doesn't even care weather they are feeding, schooling or not while he has money is not as if he's broke. & he told me that God forbid bad thing that he will never ever in his entire life send anything for them. That he have the money but he will not send.’

With the new school term underway, Tessy said she needed help enrolling their children in a good school near her home in Abuja.

‘Now good school that is closer to my house Incase of picking them up there registration for first entrance is 370k per child including there main school book, test book, different wears like practically everything,’ she wrote, adding that the total for three children came to 1,110,000 Naira.

She said she even invited him to verify the fees himself with the school.

She said she was not asking for the full amount.

‘The main point is that am not even asking him to bring all but to contribute even if it's half or quarter of the money. b/c I know am married now soo am not expecting him to do all they are also my kids & have be taking care of their bills from head to toes 3 of them for 9 good months now.’

According to Tessy, her ex-husband refused to budge.

‘He still insisted, shouted at me as if am still under him that as he say & will always say that he will never ever ever that over his de@d body will he ever send money to me for them. All I have to say is that is well. God is watching.’

Tessy said her ex-husband had also refused to collect back the bride price he paid for her, which meant she remained traditionally tied to him and unable to fully move on, despite now being in a new relationship.

On September 9, she shared a screenshot of a bank transfer showing she had sent the bride price amount back to him herself.

In the transfer narration, she wrote: ‘I Ugwu Nnenna Theresa Ex-wife of Ejike Tobias Ugwuoke. Have Single-handedly returned the Bride Price he paid on my Head on 2/1/2020 which he Rejected to Collect From My Umunna & Parents & The laws. I Single-HANDEDLY Returned it Myself Today Being 9/9/2026.’