On Sunday, November 19, 2023, couples assembled for a mass wedding at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State.
Bishop Yohanna, who married the couples in holy matrimony at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Agwara, revealed that it is forbidden for a couple to cohabit until they are legally joined together in marriage, both historically by paying a bride price and being blessed in the church.
He was speaking out against a long-standing community custom that allows a guy to reside with more than one lady without paying the bride price. He pushed them to build a family that adheres to religious and legal requirements.
While revealing that the 30 couples finished their marriage traditional ceremonies, including paying their bride costs, the Parish Priest, Rev Fr Emmanuel Okoro, stated that they were subjected to three months of marriage counselling, which qualified them to be wedded as husband and wife in the church.
Shuaibu Bisallah and his wife, who had been married for several years and had four children, were among the newlyweds.
They however added that
“we are happy now that we are officially married and I thank the Bishop for helping us realise the need to do the right thing”.