Aliyu Usman and Sadiya Ibrahim, two repentant commercial sex workers in Bauchi State, were on Monday, joined together as husband and wife by the Hisbah department of the Bauchi State Shariah Commission in Bauchi.
The solemnisation of their union was held in a brothel at Bayangari area of Bauchi metropolis, noted to be a red district area of the State capital, during the flag-off of the empowerment training of 575 commercial sex workers by the State government, through the Hisbah department.
The event, which had in attendance dignitaries, including the Deputy Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Honourable Danlami Kawule; Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Umar Kesa, was also witnessed by top State government officials and officials of the Shariah Commission and many other commercial sex workers.
After listening to the representative of the groom, Kesa gave approval for the joining of the couple hitherto involved in commercial sex activities, while Kawule paid the N50,000 dowry on behalf of the groom, Aliyu Usman.
Speaking at the epoch-making event, the chairman, Shariah Commission Sheikh Mustapha Baban-Illela, who joined the couple together, said no one forced the couple on each other.
Baban-Illela said that the bride and groom were joined together as a couple with the consent of the bride’s parents.
According to the chairman, the wedding was conducted after the couple had undergone a series of medical tests, which confirmed them to be healthy and fit to be husband and wife.
Speaking on behalf of the newly wedded couple, the groom, Usman, expressed appreciation to the State government, the Deputy Speaker, as well as the Shariah Commission and all those present at the event for their efforts and contributions towards making their dream of getting married a reality.
He declared that both of them had repented of the old way of life, vowing that, “by the grace of Allah, from today, we have repented from what we were doing before and we will change for good.”