A Magistrates’ Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, has sentenced two lovers, Mohammed Nazifi, 30, and Bilkisu Ibrahim, 25, to three months in prison after finding them guilty of adultery. The pair, who pleaded guilty to the charge, were arrested following a complaint by Dayabe Abdullahi of Chibiri village, Kuje.
According to the prosecutor, Dabo Yakubu, Abdullahi reported the case to the police on January 16, leading to their arrest. Yakubu told the court that Nazifi and Ibrahim had engaged in sexual intercourse outside of marriage, which violates sections 387 and 388 of the Penal Code.
Under these laws, adultery is considered a criminal offense in communities where customary law applies.
“If a man or woman has sexual relations with anyone other than their spouse, they are guilty of adultery and can be punished with imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both,” Yakubu explained.
During the hearing, Nazifi, who is married with young children, begged the court for leniency. Ibrahim also pleaded for mercy, saying she had a three-year-old child and an elderly mother who depended on her. Initially, Magistrate Olatunji Oladunmoye had remanded the duo, giving them time to present a witness who could vouch for their good character. However, they failed to do so.
Oladunmoye sentenced them to three months in prison each but gave them the option of paying a ₦25,000 fine. He emphasized that the punishment was not meant to ruin their lives but to reform them and serve as a warning to others.
