"A man with 10 wives would collapse and die, but my own power is given by Allah"
His own words. "Nigerian preacher with 86 wives gets court reprieve," by Tume Ahemba for Reuters, November 13:
LAGOS, Nov 13 (Reuters Life!) - A Nigerian court said an 84-year-old Islamic preacher with 86 wives should be released from jail after he was held for failing to heed a call by local leaders to divorce all but four of the women, his lawyer said.The authorities in central Niger state had charged Mohammed Bello with "insulting religious" creed and "unlawful marriages" after local chiefs and Muslim leaders gave him a Sept. 7, 2008 deadline to comply with sharia, Islamic law, which allows a man to have no more than four wives.
He was jailed after he failed to comply.
"The Federal High Court granted Bello unconditional release yesterday," defence lawyer David Ikotun told Reuters by phone from Abuja.
Niger is one of 12 predominantly Islamic northern states that started a stricter enforcement of sharia eight years ago.
Bello, who lives with his wives and about 170 children in the town of Bida, had pleaded not guilty to the charges at an Upper Sharia Court in the state capital Minna. But the judge refused him bail and ordered he be remanded in prison.
Before his detention, the preacher had filed a petition at a Federal High Court in the Nigerian capital Abuja seeking to enforce his rights and to be protected from local chiefs and Muslim leaders who threatened to banish him if he failed to divorce 82 of his wives.
"The judge also ordered that the inspector general of police provide him with adequate protection to ensure that his fundamental human rights are not infringed," Ikotun said, adding that Bello was still in custody.
The Niger state government said it will appeal the judgment, the lawyer said.
The court adjourned Bello's hearing to Dec. 12.
His case has stirred controversy in Africa's most populous country of 140 million people, roughly half of whom are Muslims.
The preacher had received a number of death threats after Nigerian media began reporting on his situation in September, his spokesman said. (Editing by Randy Fabi and Matthew Jones)
The preacher had received a number of death threats after Nigerian media began reporting on his situation in September, his spokesman said, so the best thing for this very productive preacher is to jump on a jet plane with his family and seek asylum in Britain.
"Bello, who lives with his wives and about 170 children in the town of Bida"
"Africa's most populous country of 140 million people.."
I'll say.
This guy was probably one of the first test subjects for Viagra before they got the right dosage worked out.
Bello, who lives with his wives and about 170 children in the town of Bida,
This guy could start his own country...
The Quran is pretty clear on the four wife limit for Muslim males (except Muhammad, who gave himself, via the handy "Allah," no limit). Maybe this Muslim is married to only 4 wives simultaneously at the moment and the other 82 are technically divorced from him? Or maybe the extra 82 are technically slave girls, so he can have any number of them he likes?
Or maybe he is a modern, moderate, liberal Muslim who doesn't interpret the Quran literally ("four" could mean anything right?); a progressive-reformist polygynist?
He should migrate to the UK, they'll put him up in a million dollar mansion and let the tax payers pay his welfare. IS he stupid or something? Maybe no-one has mentioned this to him? Think there's a drink in it for me if I email him?
Kiana
"The Quran is pretty clear on the four wife limit for Muslim males"
C'mon dude, you some kind of an islamophobe or somethin? We're making up the rules as we go along, 4 wives 84 wives pah!
I'd like to know how anyone can afford that many kids. Does the guy have an oil well on his property?
savage
He's an Islamic "preacher".
Similar to those dubious preachers we have here in the America, 'cept this Nigerian one will have your head cut off if you dis him.
What a lovely little muslim tribe he has created. I hope he can find husbands for all his daughters so they won't have to marry their brothers.
leon, you're right. He could claim refugee status in the UK and then demand that his family join him. Taxpayers would have to build him his own village, but I'm sure Gordon Brown would jump to it.
The walking, talking, male reproductive organ returns.
How can anyone but a Muslim be so proud of being something so small but so very, very durable.
You know what? In that light, with that hat, he could pass himself off as a Briton, according to the BBC.
Most Brits, prolly wouldn't notice anyway, too busy with pint and football, and grumbling 'bout "this or that."
eh up, put kettle on. pint of lager and a packet of chrisps please, "Zulus, thasands of 'em" "great film luv, how we beat 'em fuzzy wuzzies, when we ruled the world".
leon:
Do you actually know 'most Brits'?
I don't think so!
Please try to be a little less offensive, and do learn to spell the word 'probably'.
I'm actually surprised that he got away with this. After all, he was demonstrating that he's more virile than Mohammed. That alone is worth a death sentence.
And he's still impregnating his wives at his age. Impressive! (Unless his sons are impregnating his wives, which makes it even more surreal).
"Bello, who lives with his wives and about 170 children in the town of Bida"
Doesn't he have enough wives and children to have his own town?
Sencit
"Do you actually know 'most Brits?"
Yes, I'm British/English.
Next!
How ever could he chose? What ever would the other bunch do. Isn't this really just kindness, after all many of those wives would not have husbands but for his marrying them? Isn't that the usual excuse for having 4?
170 kids divided by 86 wives gives an average of only 1.98 children per wife. The total fertility rate in Nigeria is 5 children per woman. Bello will need to father approximately 260 more children among his 86 wives (about 3 more per wife) to match the total fertility rate in his country.
leon:
I am English, and prbably a great deal older than you, having lived in various places in the UK. I have lived in the South, North and Midlands, also in Scotland for a short time!
Sorry, but the people you describe are certainly not 'most Brits'!
Sencit
"Please try to be a little less offensive, and do learn to spell the word 'probably'."
" and prbably a great deal older than you"
LOL, you spelled it wrong!
;)