Nigerian Lawyer Says Payment of Bride Price Validates Paternity in Igboland, Not DNA, Explains Why
- A Nigerian lawyer has said that the payment of bride price is what validates paternity under the Igbo law
- He explained the reason for his statement as he talked about what happens when a woman bears children outside of wedlock
- The man also shared what men should do if they wanted to claim a child under the Igbo customary law
A Nigerian lawyer, Stan Alieke, made strong claims about the Igbo customary law, as it pertained to paternity.
The lawyer shared how bride price was the only way to validate paternity in Igboland, and not even DNA.
Source: Facebook
He made the statement on his Instagram story and shared the screenshot on his Facebook page.
Alieke stated that if a man has not paid the bride price of a woman who bears his child, the child is considered fatherless.
He added that a man can only claim the child if he pays the mother's bride price, even if she has passed away.
Lawyer shares why child may take mother’s surname
According to Alieke, a child whose father has not paid the mother’s bride price would take the mother’s surname.
He said:
“Under the Igbo customary law, payment of bride price is what validates paternity and not even DNA. This means that if your father is yet to pay the bride price on your mother, you will be presumed to be fatherless.
“Also, you as a father of the child will not be allowed to take the child until you have paid the bride price on the mum even if the mum is dead.
“A child that the father has not paid the mother’s bride price will have to take the surname of the mother and the mother’s family would have custody of the child until the father comes and pays the bride price or until the child becomes an adult. #knowthelaw.”
Those who came across the post on his Facebook page agreed with his stance.
In related stories, a lady vowed to divorce her husband if he conducted DNA for a newborn baby while another man became hospitalised after DNA showed him that he wasn't the biological father of his 3 kids.
Wife requests car and house after DNA test
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a woman wanted to be compensated with house and car gifts following the outcome of her children's DNA test.
The woman's husband, probably nursing doubts, had demanded a DNA test on his first kid, and she did for their three children.
While some people blamed the man for demanding the DNA test from his wife, others supported her demands.
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
