Tears in Kaduna court as mother of 10 faces eviction after divorce

A 44-year-old woman, Zainab Isah, on Monday told a Shari’a Court sitting in the Magajin Gari area of Kaduna State that she has nowhere to go following her divorce from her husband, Abdulhamid.

She informed the court that she was married off to Abdulhamid at the age of 14.
“I have been married to him for 30 years and I have 10 children for him,” she said.
Isah explained that her husband divorced her on January 1, 2026.
She added: “I am yet to complete my waiting period (Iddah), as required under Islam.
“I lived peacefully with my co-wives, but I cannot leave my children behind for them; three of my children are sick.”
Earlier, counsel to Abdulhamid, Abdulrashid Musa, urged the court to compel Isah to vacate his client’s house, arguing that they were no longer married.
He stated that his client had issued two pronouncements of divorce, the first on December 29, 2025, adding that she had already completed her waiting period.
The lawyer further told the court that all efforts made by Abdulhamid to get her to leave the house had failed.
However, the complainant said he was willing to pay for his ex-wife’s rent once she secures a new place to stay with the children.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Mu’awiya Shehu, noted that a husband’s obligation to provide shelter, feeding, and other needs ends after divorce, while the responsibility for the children remains.
The judge adjourned the case until June 1, directing the defendant to find a new residence for herself and her children and to report any progress to the court.