On Thursday, activist lawyer Madubuachi Idam stated that Nigerian laws do not support the idea of a woman receiving 50 percent of her husband’s property in the event of a divorce.
Idam cautioned that women who pressure their husbands into court marriages with the aim of claiming part of their property during a divorce should understand that this concept is not recognized by Nigerian law.
In an interview with DAILY POST, the lawyer explained that the spouse would need to provide proof of contributing to the acquisition of any property in question.
According to Idam, “The law that grants 50% or any portion of a man’s property to his wife during divorce is foreign to Nigeria.
“Women who insist on statutory (court) marriages with the intention of claiming property during a divorce should be aware that this is not supported by Nigerian law.
“Statutory marriage does not allow a Nigerian woman to benefit from property she did not contribute to. If that were the case, divorce would be as profitable as the oil business for some Gen Z individuals who are uninterested in marriage but eager to escape poverty.”
He added, however, that in the case of death, the spouse is entitled to the deceased’s property.
