Benue Woman's Marriage Dreams Shattered by N2 Million Bride Price Demands
A young Tiv woman from Mbaaji, Kunav, in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State has raised an urgent alarm, revealing that her family's exorbitant marriage demands are preventing her from getting married. She claims her relatives have presented a comprehensive marriage list totaling over N2 million to her suitor, creating an insurmountable barrier to her marital aspirations.
Defiance of Traditional Council Directives
This situation represents a direct challenge to the established traditional order in Tiv land. The woman explained that despite the clear law passed by the Tor Tiv and the Tiv Traditional Council, which specifically pegs marriage lists at not more than N1,000 to curb excessive demands, her family has stubbornly refused to comply. The traditional regulation was implemented precisely to prevent such financial burdens on prospective grooms and to facilitate marriages within the community.
Family Insistence on Full Compliance
The distressed woman detailed how her repeated pleas to family members to reduce the list in accordance with the traditional council's directive have been met with firm rejection. Her relatives maintain an uncompromising position, insisting that all items on the exhaustive list must be provided before they will consent to her marriage. This rigid stance has effectively stalled her wedding plans indefinitely, leaving her in emotional turmoil.
"The marriage list my family issued is stopping me from getting married," she lamented. "I am pleading with the Tor Tiv and the Tiv Traditional Council to come to my aid and intervene in this matter."
Community Concern and Wider Implications
This case has generated significant public concern throughout Vandeikya and beyond, sparking conversations about the persistence of excessive marriage demands in some Tiv communities. Residents are questioning how certain families continue to issue marriage lists running into millions of naira despite the standing traditional order that explicitly prohibits such practices.
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between traditional authority and family customs in matters of marriage. It raises important questions about:
- The enforcement mechanisms for traditional council directives
- The economic pressures facing young couples in contemporary Nigeria
- The balance between cultural preservation and modernization of marriage practices
- The psychological impact of such financial demands on prospective brides
This Benue woman's predicament serves as a poignant example of how excessive bride price demands can transform what should be a joyful union into a source of distress and division. Her public appeal for intervention underscores the need for stronger implementation of traditional laws designed to protect young couples from financial exploitation during marriage negotiations.
