Sa’adatu Barkindo Musdafa, the new bride of
Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, will
go to the UK for an undergraduate course in
computer science in January 2016, TheCable
understands.

The princess, who is a daughter of Barkindo
Aliyu Musdafa, the Lamido of Adamawa, was
officially given in marriage to Sanusi II on
Friday after Jumma’at prayer — although the
union will effectively be “on hold” until she
completes her studies in 2019.

A family source told TheCable that Sanusi II, an
advocate of female education in northern
Nigeria, is “very delighted” with the resolve of
his bride to pursue her academic interest in
information technology.
All of his three wives are university graduates,
while one of them is currently undertaking a
master’s programme.
TheCable learnt that Sa’adatu demonstrated
significant knowledge of computer science in her
O’Level, scoring an “A” in the school certificate
exam.
“Her ambition is to be an IT expert and she has
already secured admission to a UK university to
further her studies. Effectively, she will be there
till the age of 21 when she is supposed to return
to Nigeria and, as it were, officially assume the
position of Sanusi’s fourth wife,” the source
said.

Female education
The Lamido of Adamawa, who holds a PhD in
engineering, is said to be very excited at the
examples the northern royals are setting in
giving education to women in a region
considered to be very conservative about female
and western education.
Sanusi II’s first wife, Sadiya, who is a daughter
of the late emir, Ado Bayero, holds a bachelor’s
degree in education (history) from the Bayero
University Kano (BUK) and speaks Arabic.
The second wife, Maryam, holds a BA (combined
honours) in Arabic and Islamic studies also
from BUK and is about completing her
dissertation for a master’s degree in education
from the University of Abuja. She speaks Arabic
and Italian.
The third wife, Rakiya, has an LLB (law) from
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and an LLM
from the University of London.
Sa’adatu will now complete Sanusi II’s Islamic
marital quota after her university education at
the age of 21.

Cultural differences
Another family source told TheCable that the
“hysteria” on the social media about the new
bride was “condescending and unfair”.
“To call an 18-year-old woman a child and
spread propaganda about ‘child marriage’ is
nothing but mischief taken to another height. In
Nigeria, the legal age for marriage is 18. At
that age, you can vote and you can drive. This is
also the legal age for marriage in most western
countries,” she said.
“It is very disrespectful to Sa’adatu to call her
a child. There is a lot of ignorance about Islamic
concept of marriage and many people are
trying to force their own traditions on Muslims
with this belief that they have a superior
culture.
“Ordinarily, that the Lamido of Adamawa’s
daughter and Emir of Kano’s wife is going to
school in the UK is something that should set an
example for how girls need to be educated.
“It also promotes the notion that marriage
should never be allowed to interrupt the
education of a promising woman. There is this
assumption that once you marry, your education
stops. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Two of Sanusi’s wives are still pursuing their
academic interests.”

Sanusi’s daughters
Sanusi’s “obsession” with western education for
girls and women, a family friend told TheCable,
is evident in his immediate family.
“He has seven daughters and four of them are
now undergraduates,” he said.
“One is studying law at Buckingham University in
the UK. The second is a biology major at New
York University, US. Both will graduate next
year. The third is studying accounting and
finance at Swansea University, UK, while the
fourth is taking media studies at the American
University in Paris, France.
“You can accuse Sanusi of all things but you
cannot deny the fact that he takes educating
girls and women very seriously. There is this
stereotype out there that once a woman is
married in northern Nigeria, she becomes a sex
slave. It is very unfortunate.”

Limits of libido
Another source, who is an Islamic scholar,
described as “laughable” suggestions that Sanusi
took a new wife because he cannot cage his
libido.
“It is ridiculous to even suggest that. The emir
does not need to marry any new wife if it is all
about sex. After all, you have monogamists who
sleep with all kinds of women any day and any
time. To suggest that he took a new bride
because of sex is part of the backward thinking
that women are only for sex,” he said.
“Those who think women are nothing but the
object of sexual desire and marriage is nothing
but sexual gratification need to understand the
deeper meaning of marriage in Fulani and
Islamic traditions.
“Sa’adatu is a young lady and a princess of
noble birth whose mother is also a princess, and
who has been brought up in a good Muslim home.
This is the kind of woman that is prepared for
giving birth to princes and bringing them up for
the role expected of them in the society.”

A marriage of two emirates
Sanusi II’s marriage also represents a
“cementing” of the historical ties between the
two emirates.
Sanusi’s grandfather, Muhammadu Sanusi I,
and Aliyu Musdafa, the father of the current
Lamido (Sanusi II’s new father-in-law), were
both turbaned around the same period in
1953-54.
The two emirs were known to be very close
friends before the death of Sanusi I, while
Sanusi II’s mother also married from Adamawa
at some point.
“It is only natural that Sanusi II will marry
from Adamawa if he decides to take another
wife in the tradition of emirs and kings in most
African societies,” he said.
It is not uncommon in northern Nigeria for new
emirs to take new wives if they have not filled
their quota — and the new brides are usually
princesses.
Bayero, Sanusi II’s predecessor, also married
princesses from Ilorin, Katsina and Sokoto.

https://www.thecable.ng/exclusive-sanusis-new-bride-study-computer-science-uk-university?fb_ref=Default&fb_source=message

All those pple complaining don't ve d slightest idea wat it means to be a princess...

Enough effizy mhen!

All those twitter aunties wey de yarn Optata fit go rest now...

At 30 u nefa marry and u've lost count of how many times u've been KNACKED u come de vent ur anger on d young Princess... na don jazzy go judge ur case!

Okay

here is nothing superior about this paedophilic culture

It's the culture in the North to marry women decades younger

That's how my former Northerner from Borno brought one 13 year old and told me that is his new wife

I was shocked. The Northerner blind for one eye and let's just say he is no fetty wap

The bride died nine months later trying to push out a baby that also died

This is why VVF is rampant in the North

Why not let your women flourish and develop first before all this predatory marriage of a thing

Quote me if your relatives are boko haram sponsors

That's good, it will avail others the opportunity to cut their share in his absence before she becomes a full house wife in a house where there is limited bedroom resources

Dats good but putting the union on hold till she comes back from school in the Uk for dat matter at age 21,now dats a brave man

cuz some girls 1st year their accent would change,2nd yr dey start getting wiser,3rd yr they already ave a standby boyfriend and have decided they now want to base in the UK,by 4th yr wen they know you ave finished all skull payments they would kindly ask their parents to return d bride price.

Kudos to the few brave men we still have.

Damage control. Why not Islamic sudan where you studied terrorism and the throat-slighting methods you used to kill Gideon Akaluka? Of course you will lock her up in your palace and pay daily trust to write 'Emir Sanusi's new wife jets of to UK". You can only deceive your Yoruba and hausa slaves not Easterners.

Just go and destroy her with VVF. Na your business be that. Abooki don turn Advocate of female education overnight. Na so!. Dey deceive yourself there.