Mallam Bello Abubakar Masaba's 86 wives protest husband’s arrest

• ‘He satisfies us sexually’

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Wives and children of the detained Bida based Islamic cleric, Mallam Bello Abubakar Masaba, yesterday, stormed the Niger State Ministry of Justice opposite the State House of Assembly, demanding the immediate release of their bread winner.

This is as the embattled Masaba has sought solace and refuge in the Federal High Court, Abuja for an order nullifying the death sentence passed on him by the Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI).

They arrived the scene yesterday at 11 a.m in a 32-seater Asia bus registered Lagos: AP 990LND, a Mazda bus marked Niger: XB 195BDB, and a Pony car marked Kano AG 194MB.

Activities at the secretariat were disrupted for over four hours, as people abandoned their duty posts to catch a glimpse of the women and their children.

Armed with different placards, they called on the state government to set their husband free.

Some of the placards read: ‘’who plans to destroy, must be destroyed first," "don’t render our unborn babies and children fatherless. Sharia commission take note."

Others are: "Our children need their father, Alhaji Bello.’’ ‘"We are legally married to our husband according to Islamic and Nigeria laws."

Spokespersons of the protesters, Hajia Hafusat Bello Masaba, one of the wives and Maroof Bello, one of the children, maintained that their father, Mallam Masaba was not a criminal and should not be treated as such by the state government, claiming that ‘he was God sent to help the masses’.

They claimed that their husband and father discharges his paternal duties effectively, provides for them and satisfies the women sexually and therefore there was no basis to arrest and detain him.

Hajia Hafusat Bello, daughter of a first republic minister from Ilorin, Kwara State, disclosed that she has been married to Alhaji Bello for the past 20 years and that the union was blessed with four grown up children without any hitches since their marriage.

Her claim which was substantiated by the other wives who emphasized that their family was the most organized and God-fearing doing every thing in accordance with the directives from the Almighty Allah.

They said they wanted the world to know their plight and help appeal to the government to set their husband free because he has not committed any offence against any known law of the land.

"We want our husband, we need him; we did not take money from government. He is not a thief and we don’t beg. Everybody should fear God’’. Our husband comes from God and he is going to marry more. He was sent by God to help people .

One Mohammed Abass, a Ghanaian, told journalists that his sister was married to Baba, revealing that the man trained him from his childhood.

Efforts to speak with the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Adamu Usman, was not successful as he was said to be away. But Acting Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Barrister Ndagi Wali who stood in for him, said he has not been around for some weeks now, but urged the leaders of the group, Mr. Maroof Bello to calm the wives and the children to remain law abiding as the ministry will ensure that his right were not infringed upon.

He said the position of the ministry was that the matter was already in Upper Sharia Court in Minna, and therefore it would be sub-judice to make any comment on a matter. He, however pleaded with the protesting women and children to go because the ministry of justice is not the court.

It will be recalled that a judge of Upper Sharia court of appeal had sentenced Mallam Muhammadu Bello Masaba to 21 days imprisonment in order to allow police carry out uninterrupted investigation into the legality of his marriage to 86 women.

In the application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights filed at the court by his lawyer, the applicant wants the court to hold that notwithstanding the provisions of Islamic laws, the provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must take precedence.

He said his decision to marry 86 wives does not constitute a legally punishable offence at the time the marriages took place and that the Fatwa passed on him is unknown to law.

The case is yet to be assigned to any judge.

It would be recalled that Justice G O Kolawole while on vacation duty granted Masaba permission to sue the JNI and the Bida Emirate Council with their officials.

The court had ordered parties to the case to stay action pending the determination of the motion on notice.

Justice Kolawole also allowed Masaba to serve all the court processes including the motion on notice on all the defendants while yesterday was given as a return date.

Although the court order was allegedly carried out to the letter, Masaba was on Tuesday arraigned before an Upper Sharia court in Minna, Niger state where he was ordered to be remanded in prison custody until October 6.

The octogenarian may be celebrating the Ramadan festival in prison custody.