A Nigerian man based in the United Kingdom, who had planned to marry a Nigerian woman, has reportedly called off the wedding after her family demanded a bride price totaling ₦3.5 million.
The man, who met the Akwa Ibom woman online, intended to sponsor her academics and travel documents so she could join him in the UK.
However, he decided to end the relationship after receiving an extensive traditional marriage list containing 92 items, totaling N3.5m, including exorbitant cash demands.
The list reportedly included:
- ₦500,000 as bride price for the father, along with 31 other items exclusively for the father of the bride.
- ₦300,000 for the mother, along with 24 other items exclusively meant for her.
- Additional payments for family youth, sanitation women, village youth, brothers, stepfathers, and others.
The story, shared by social media influencer Princess Adeola, sparked discussions about the cultural practices surrounding bride price in parts of Southern Nigeria.
In her post, Princess Adeola criticized such customs, stating that the unnamed groom had been committed to the relationship despite its challenges. However, the excessive demands made him reconsider.
“Yesterday, he reached out to me, visibly upset about the ₦3.5 million bride price list her family gave him. What?” she tweeted.
She explained that the groom felt hurt, especially as the bride supported her family’s position, arguing that things were expensive in Nigeria.
“Why would anyone ask for all these just to marry a woman?” she questioned.
Adeola also warned that demanding such a hefty bride price could lead to the groom treating the bride poorly after marriage, viewing her as a purchased commodity.
“It’s very ridiculous, and I hope women learn from this. This man had plans to take her abroad, even paying for her education. Can’t you see the bigger picture? Now you’ve lost a good man because of greed,” she said.
She added that, at the time of the post, the bride was unaware the groom had decided to call off the wedding. “He told me he planned to block her, cry it out, and move on with his life,” Adeola revealed