go to the UK for an undergraduate course in computer science in January 2016, TheCable
understands. The princess, who is a daughter of Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, the Lamido of Adamawa, was officially given in marriage to Sanusi II on Friday after Jumma’at prayer — although the union will effectively be “on hold” until she completes her studies in 2019.
A family source told TheCable that Sanusi II, an advocate of female education in northern
Nigeria, is “very delighted” with the resolve of his bride to pursue her academic interest in
information technology. All of his three wives are university graduates, while one of them is currently undertaking a master’s programme. TheCable learnt that Sa’adatu demonstrated significant knowledge of computer science in her O’Level, scoring an “A” in the school certificate exam.“Her ambition is to be an IT expert and she has already secured admission to a UK university to further her studies. Effectively, she will be there till the age of 21 when she is supposed to return to Nigeria and, as it were, officially assume the
position of Sanusi’s fourth wife,” the source said. Female education
The Lamido of Adamawa, who holds a PhD in engineering, is said to be very excited at the
examples the northern royals are setting in giving education to women in a region
considered to be very conservative about female and western education.
Sanusi II’s first wife, Sadiya, who is a daughter of the late emir, Ado Bayero, holds a bachelor’s degree in education (history) from the Bayero University Kano (BUK) and speaks Arabic. The second wife, Maryam, holds a BA (combined honours) in Arabic and Islamic studies also rom BUK and is about completing her dissertation for a master’s degree in education from the University of Abuja. She speaks Arabic and Italian. The third wife, Rakiya, has an LLB (law) from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and an LLM
from the University of London. Sa’adatu will now complete Sanusi II’s Islamic
marital quota after her university education at the age of 21. Cultural differences
Another family source told TheCable that the “hysteria” on the social media about the new
bride was “condescending and unfair”. “To call an 18-year-old woman a child and
spread propaganda about ‘child marriage’ is nothing but mischief taken to another height. In Nigeria, the legal age for marriage is 18. At that age, you can vote and you can drive. This is also the legal age for marriage in most western countries,” she said. “It is very disrespectful to Sa’adatu to call her a child. There is a lot of ignorance about Islamic
concept of marriage and many people are trying to force their own traditions on Muslims
with this belief that they have a superior culture. “Ordinarily, that the Lamido of Adamawa’s daughter and Emir of Kano’s wife is going to school in the UK is something that should set an example for how girls need to be educated. “It also promotes the notion that marriage should never be allowed to interrupt the education of a promising woman. There is this assumption that once you marry, your education stops. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Two of Sanusi’s wives are still pursuing their academic interests.” Sanusi’s daughters Sanusi’s “obsession” with western education for girls and women, a family friend told TheCable, is evident in his immediate family. “He has seven daughters and four of them are now undergraduates,” he said. “One is studying law at Buckingham University in
the UK. The second is a biology major at New York University, US. Both will graduate next
year. The third is studying accounting and finance at Swansea University, UK, while the
fourth is taking media studies at the American
University in Paris, France.
“You can accuse Sanusi of all things bucannot deny the fact that he takes educating
girls and women very seriously. There is this
stereotype out there that once a woman is
married in northern Nigeria, she becomes a sex
slave. It is very unfortunate.”
Limits of libido
Another source, who is an Islamic scholar,
described as “laughable” suggestions that Sanusi
took a new wife because he cannot cage his
libido.
“It is ridiculous to even suggest that. The emir
does not need to marry any new wife if it is all
about sex. After all, you have monogamists who
sleep with all kinds of women any day and any
time. To suggest that he took a new bride
because of sex is part of the backward thinking
that women are only for sex,” he said.
“Those who think women are nothing but the
object of sexual desire and marriage is nothing
but sexual gratification need to understand the
deeper meaning of marriage in Fulani and
Islamic traditions.
“Sa’adatu is a young lady and a princess of
noble birth whose mother is also a princess, and
who has been brought up in a good Muslim home.
This is the kind of woman that is prepared for
giving birth to princes and bringing them up for
the role expected of them in the society.”
A marriage of two emirates
Sanusi II’s marriage also represents a
“cementing” of the historical ties between the
two emirates.
Sanusi’s grandfather, Muhammadu Sanusi I,
and Aliyu Musdafa, the father of the current
Lamido (Sanusi II’s new father-in-law), were
both turbaned around the same period in
1953-54.
The two emirs were known to be very close
friends before the death of Sanusi I, while
Sanusi II’s mother also married from Adamawa
at some point.
“It is only natural that Sanusi II will marry
from Adamawa if he decides to take another
wife in the tradition of emirs and kings in most
African societies,” he said.
It is not uncommon in northern Nigeria for new
emirs to take new wives if they have not filled
their quota — and the new brides are usually
princesses.
Bayero, Sanusi II’s predecessor, also married
princesses from Ilorin, Katsina and Sokoto.
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