Luck ran out on 25 women billed to participate in the third-batch of the 1000 couple proposed mass wedding in Kano as they were discovered to be pregnant and HIV positive.

According the Commander-General of the Hisbah Board in Kano, northern Nigeria, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, about 20 widows were found to be HIV positive, while five other women were discovered to be pregnant during medical screening.

In Islam, it is a taboo for pregnant women to participate in weddings.

The 25 women have been dropped from the government-sponsored exercise designed to curb the antics of divorce and singl-parent syndrome.

Daurawa said in each of the 44 councils would hold the wedding prayer session for 21 couples, while the mass wedding for the remaining 76 couples would be conducted in the state capital.

He further stated that the Board has earmarked N10 million to be paid as dowries to the brides in addition to providing other essential items such as furniture and other house-hold materials for the couples.

He stated that a number of individuals and corporate bodies have been donating for the success of the programme.

He named individuals and institutions who have made donations to encourage the exercise to include a renowned Kano-based businessman, Alhaji Isiyaka Rabi’u and the Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Sunusi Lamido Sanusi who donated N2 million and N1 million respectively.

Also Alhaji Gambo Danpass also donated 200 bundles of lace material for the participants, while GLO Mobile Telecommunication Company donated 2, 000 sim cards for distribution to the couples.