Polygamy in Nigeria

[7] As the southern region of Nigeria is composed of mostly Christians, polygamous marriages have not been legally introduced at this time.

[11] There are no requirements based on religion in the North, therefore Christians are legally allowed to form polygamous unions just as Muslims may do.

[13] Despite the four-wife limitation, there have been numerous indications that many Nigerians bypass this law, such as with Muhammadu Bello Masaba, an 84-year-old Islamic cleric who was accused of illegal marriage due to his exceeding number of spouses, in which he had 86 wives.

On an opposite note, it was reported in April 2007 that a Nigerian lesbian, Aunty Maiduguri, married four women in an elaborate ceremony in Kano State, though her union is not recognized by the government, and Maiduguri and her partners were forced to go into hiding shortly after the ceremony to avoid the possible threat of being stoned if convicted for lesbianism, which results in capital punishment for married Muslim women or caning for single Muslim women in Nigerian areas under Sharia law.

Polygamous unions are currently recognized under customary law throughout Nigeria, but lack numerous benefits in a Nigerian civil marriage.

While civil marriage in Nigeria is monogamous, a dozen states and counting have implanted Sharia into their legal systems and thus are exempt.

Polygamous unions are currently recognized under customary law throughout Nigeria, but lack numerous benefits in a Nigerian civil marriage.

While civil marriage in Nigeria is monogamous, a dozen states have implanted Sharia into their legal systems and thus are exempt.

Efforts to introduce Sharia law in Plateau State have not been successful due to strong opposition by the largely Christian population.