In an advisory I gave a lady earlier today, I told her that her boyfriend is still the father of her child, even though he never married her (never paid bride price).

Surprisingly, many women (Igbos mainly) argued that in accordance with their customs, there has to be bride price paid before a man can claim paternity.

That is wrong!

Bride price (which the women should actually feel ashamed of) only proves that a man is your husband under the native law and customs. And of course, if somebody is your husband, it is presumed that your children are from him.

However, in this case, the man did not pay bride price. He did not claim you to be his wife. In fact, he made it clear that he was only a boyfriend when he got you pregnant and that he wants to remain a boyfriend. He is the biological father of your child.

As the biological father of your child, he has a constitutional right to demand to be recognized as the father of the child. That is: he can claim paternity.

PLEASE MAKE NO MISTAKE and think that your customary law or the things your people do in your village will override the constitution. Stop thinking that Nigerians are to be governed by the customs of your village. Your village customs only apply to your village people until any of them invokes the constitution.

Part of the rights the boyfriend that got you pregnant can claim over your child includes:

(1) The right to be named in the birth certificate as the father.

(2) The right that the child should bear his name.

(3) The right that he be consulted in any major decision concerning the child, including the right to know the school the child is attending, and the right to have a say in the child's religion etc., and

(4) The right to custody of the child if the mother is not fit to care for the child.

Please, your boyfriend that got your pregnant has more rights relative to the child than your mother and your father. The fact that you know of a boyfriend who did not want to exercise any of these rights does not mean that the rights do not exist.

And please, one more favor, don't try to use your commonsense to override the law. The law is greater than your commonsense.

Those who can learn should learn. If you are too ashamed that the boyfriend that got your pregnant refused to marry you, then don't get pregnant until he has married you. The child is his and he can take the child from you irrespective of your customs. That is; if you are not a fit mother.

if a lady gives birth for you,as long as you have not paid the bride price,the child isn't yours.

Preshy561:
if a lady gives birth for you,as long as you have not paid the bride price,the child isn't yours.

Then whose child ?

Preshy561:
if a lady gives birth for you,as long as you have not paid the bride price,the child isn't yours.

It seems you are not reading ....is your village clan bigger than the Nigerian constitution


When you insert an ATM card in a machine ...and money comes out ! Who owns the money


Good bye

The child does NOT have to bear its biological father's name.

OneLazyGirl:
The child does NOT have to bear its biological father's name.

Na your name e go bear