By Samira Adnan
In Karfi town, Kura Local Government Area of Kano State, a quiet marital dispute has grown into a public controversy which is one that raises deeper questions about domestic violence, prolonged spousal abandonment, and the enforcement of court judgments under Islamic and Nigerian law.
At the centre of the dispute are Muhammad Bashir Nuhu and his former wife, Shamsiyya Muhammad.
While Nuhu insists that Shamsiyya remains his lawful wife and accuses her of abandoning their home with his property, Shamsiyya, her family, and court records tell a different story–one of alleged abuse, neglect, and a court-sanctioned divorce granted nearly two years ago.
Husband’s Claim: “Return My Wife and My Property”
Speaking through his lawyer, Ibrahim Baba, before a forum on December 17, 2025, Nuhu alleged that his wife absconded while he was away.
“Shamsiyya is my wife,” he said. “When I travelled and returned, I discovered she had packed household items–fridge, chairs, curtains, carpets, even veils brought from Chad.
“She sold them and left. I am asking the court to return my wife to me and compel her to return my property.”
Shamsiyya’s Account: “There Was Only Suffering”
Shamsiyya flatly denied the allegations, describing a marriage she says was defined by hardship and humiliation.
“I never took even a spoon belonging to him,” she said.
“There is no marriage between us. I will never return to his house. What I experienced there was suffering, beatings, insults to my parents, and constant humiliation.”
She alleged that her husband frequently travelled for months, sometimes disappearing for more than a year without financial support or communication.
“He left me for almost one and a half years. No food, no phone call.
“My parents and relatives fed me until they were exhausted. That is why I returned home,” she said.
The couple, married for about three and a half years, had no children.
Father’s Intervention and Court-Granted Divorce
Shamsiyya’s father, Muhammad Adamu, said he withdrew his daughter from the marriage after repeated failed reconciliations.
“I gave my daughter in marriage sincerely, for the sake of Allah,” he said.
“But she suffered insults, beatings, and harassment. We reconciled them more than five times. He failed every agreement.”
According to Adamu, after another alleged assault, Shamsiyya reported the matter to the Hisbah Board in Kano.
When authorities attempted to reach Nuhu, he reportedly fled.
The case was eventually transferred to the Sharia Court in Kura LGA.
“The court heard everything and officially divorced her,” Adamu said.
“She was freed to remarry if she wished. That was almost two years ago.”
Court records obtained by human rights investigators confirm that the divorce was granted under Gaiba, a form of Islamic divorce due to prolonged absence or neglect by a husband.
Why the Case Resurfaced
Despite the divorce, the family says Nuhu continued to refer to Shamsiyya as his wife and pursued new legal actions, including a case at a magistrate court in Kano, alleging property theft and wrongful separation.
Adamu said tensions escalated when Nuhu allegedly entered his home without permission and attempted to assault Shamsiyya’s friend, mistaking her for his former wife.
“He was asked by the court to swear an oath that he would never repeat such actions. Since then, he has been in hiding,” Adamu claimed.
Human Rights Investigation: Court Divorce Was Lawful
Chairman of the Coalition of Human Rights Organisations, Comrade A.A. Haruna Ayagi, said his group investigated the case after it generated public debate.
“We went to Kura and obtained official court records,” Ayagi said.
“This woman was legally divorced by the court. Due process was followed.”
He explained that under Islamic law, a woman may seek divorce through Khul’i (mutual separation) or Gaiba when abandonment or harm is proven.
“In this case, the court determined that continued marriage would cause harm. The divorce was lawful and final,” he said.
Ayagi added that attempts to reclaim the woman after a court-granted divorce amount to harassment and abuse.
Bigger Picture: Domestic Abuse and Abandonment
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and civil society data, over 30 per cent of Nigerian women have experienced some form of domestic violence, while abandonment and failure to provide spousal support remain common but underreported, particularly in rural communities.
Legal experts say enforcement gaps allow some men to ignore court judgments, especially in family law cases.
“Once a Sharia court grants divorce, it is binding,” said Barrister Sadiq Musa, a Kano-based legal practitioner.
“Refusing to accept it or harassing the woman afterward violates both Islamic principles and Nigerian law.”
A Woman Seeking Closure
For Shamsiyya, the issue is no longer about marriage, but dignity and safety.
“I just want peace,” she said quietly. “I suffered enough. I am no one’s wife anymore.”
Her story, advocates say, reflects the struggles of many women whose legal victories do not always translate into freedom in practice.
As the case continues in various courts, it underscores a pressing need for stronger enforcement of judicial decisions, broader awareness of women’s rights under Islamic and statutory law, and community-level education to prevent domestic abuse before it escalates.
Analyst highlights
A growing number of violence in families and tight-knit communities is now among the most problematic social issues in Kano State and an indicator of a larger tendency of insecurity and moral decay.
Ibrahim Ishaq Dan Uwa Rano, a domestic violence analyst, noted that the acts of violence which were once impossible to even contemplate are being handled with disturbing nonchalance as though it were as though the price of human life had dropped.
He claims that this normalization usually has its foundation in neglect, fear, protracted silence, and justice systems that can be either sluggish or haphazard in holding those who perpetrate offenses to account.
Dan Uwa Rano communicates that a holistic approach to addressing domestic violence should not only be through law enforcement.
“Timely and effective justice should be reinforced with well established family values, responsible upbringing of children and intervention by influential communities.”
He emphasizes that the only reason why more violence can be absorbed is because of silence under the abuse, and he calls on the religious and traditional leaders to ensure they reinforce the sanctity of human life all the time.
He concludes that domestic violence has never been a personal issue, but a national crisis because when violence is accepted at home, it is a direct threat to peace, dignity and social stability.
Legal Perspective
Speaking about this problem, Barrister Isah Abdulazeez elaborated that the Fundamental Human Rights as stipulated within the Constitution are wide and can not be strictly applied so as to relate only to domestic violence.
He observed that the rights that are constitutionally guaranteed include right to life, freedom of expression, freedom of association, ownership of movable and immovable property, and right to privacy among others. To him, domestic violence overlaps with these rights only in cases where there is the actual danger to life or a person has turned into a victim at home either through coercion, isolation, or deprivation of association with others.
Abdulazeez also indicated that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are the organizations where the victims of domestic disputes could seek protection and he explained it as an agency, which mainly deals with domestic and personal problems in the households.
He reasoned that these issues are usually deemed as non-criminal in nature thus they do not always need the police to address them except when they culminate into more serious crimes. Moreover, he added, the affected persons can visit the courts to carry out civil suits such as in cases involving torture or liability.
On prevention and protection, the legal practitioner highlighted the necessity of having community-based structures in the whole of Kano State. He campaigned over the creation of representation and reporting points of the communities where the differences can be reported and leveled before escalating into violence.
He further recommended that security agencies like the Police, Hisbah Corps and other concerned agencies should collaborate to have avenues for community reporting, arbitrating and peaceful resolve for domestic and interpersonal conflicts.
Conclusion and Recommendations
This case highlights urgent needs in Kano State and beyond for :
Stronger enforcement of Sharia and statutory court judgments, especially in family law cases.
Community-level reporting and mediation structures involving Hisbah, NSCDC, police, and traditional leaders.Public education on women’s rights under Islamic and Nigerian law, to counter misinformation and stigma.
Early intervention in domestic disputes, to prevent escalation into violence.
Domestic violence is not a private matter—it is a public human rights emergency. Until court decisions are respected and survivors are protected beyond the courtroom, many women will remain legally free but socially trapped.
This report was published with the support of HumAngle under SCOJA Fellowship.
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