Nigerian man with 97 wives alive

Mohammed Bello Abubakar and wives
Mohammed Bello Abubakar and wives

Nigeria most prolific polygamist has spoken out to dismiss rumours of his death and assure people that he is very much alive and looking to bring more women into his life.

Mohammed Bello Abubakar, who rose to fame in 2008, for his ever expanding brood, which includes over 100 wives and 185 children told Nigeria’s Vanguard newspaper: “My dear, I am very much alive, hale and hearty.”

The Muslim cleric, believed to be in his early nineties, was rumoured to have passed away after battling a disease, but he spoke to Nigerian press to dismiss the stories.

He said: “The rumour is baseless and can best be described as the work of my detractors because they envy what God has done and what He is still doing for me.

“What I am doing is divine. It is an assignment and I will keep doing it till the end,” he added.

He has clashed with authorities in the past, with them describing his family as a “cult”, but he insists he is doing God’s work.

Abubakar has come under fire because Sharia Law dictates a Muslim man can have up to four wives at a time. In 2008 he was detained for weeks over his refusal to divorce 82 of his wives.

When the case was brought before an Abuja High Court, he was released after 57 of the wives testified that they married him out of their own choice

The staunch defence of his lifestyle he maintains is the “will of God”.

The cleric is said to have married a total of 107 women, but has divorced 10 of them.

In 2012 there were other suggestions that he had died after which he said he was not finished marrying yet.

He said: “My large number of wives? I only have 97 wives. I am still going to marry more. I will keep marrying them for as long I am alive.

“Left for me, I would have married maybe two wives, but what I am doing is divine. I just want to advise those fighting against the number of my wives to stop because such people are waging war against God, their creator.” (Source The Voice)