'Most polygamy marriages occur without wives' consent or knowledge'

Statistics and observations provided by Sisters in Islam (SIS) based on clients of its Telenisa legal advisory service, have given insight into the issues faced by Muslim families that go to court over various disputes, be it divorce or inheritance

One notable observation was that in the 254 polygamy cases they have dealt with between 2014 and 2016, most involved wives who either did not consent to a polygamous relationship (75 cases) or did not know they were in a polygamous relationship (60 cases).

SIS notes that husbands often conduct their subsequent marriages in bordering countries, which allows them to circumvent provisions in certain states such as the Federal Territories, in which a man has to go to court before taking on another wife.