Did you know that at the time of his death, Muhammadu Bello Abubahkar Masaba Bida had married 120 wives, divorced 10, and fathered 203 children, with some of his wives believed to be pregnant?

Muhammadu Bello Abubahkar Masaba Bida also known as Mohammed Bello Abubakar, born 24 January 1924, is known for having stirred up controversy in his hometown Bida, Niger State, due to his extensive polygamy. He was a teacher and Imam who lived in an entire apartment block with his family.

Masaba shot to limelight in 2008 when he was arrested for being outspoken about his polygamous state, and was charged under Sharia law and sent to prison in 2008 for refusing to divorce 82 out his then 86 wives. Islam limits the number of wives a Muslim man can have to four, mandating they must be all treated equally.

Before his trial at the Sharia court, Police in Niger State gave him a clean bill as the state command declared that nothing incriminating was found in his house. In October 6, 2008, while in detention in Minna Prison, an Upper Sharia Court Judge in Minna, Alhaji Abdulmalik Imam, transferred Masaba's case to a Chief Magistrate's Court in Minna after admitting lacking jurisdiction. Masaba was still remanded in prison custody at the instance of the Sharia Court.

Masaba claimed that he never pursued his wives, and that he was sought by them due to his reputation as a healer. Most of his wives were younger than 30 years of age, and a few younger than his elder children. His wives claimed that he was a good husband and father.

Thousands of protestors gathered to protest against his actions, and claimed that if he were released, they would not allow him to return to his home. However, his wives announced their outrage at his arrest. Due to his persistent refusal to divorce 82 of his wives during his trial, he was sentenced to death. The sentence was lifted in early September 2008. Masaba still faced eviction from his home. The case was reported globally and throughout Nigeria, angering many Nigerian Muslims.

During a prison interview Masaba told The Christian Science Monitor: "If God permits me, I will marry more than 86 wives. A normal human being could not marry 86 – but I can only by the grace of God, I married 86 women and there is peace in the house – if there is peace, how can this be wrong?" Following the case, Masaba also told the BBC that: "A man with ten wives would collapse and die, but my own power is given by Allah. That is why I have been able to control 86 of them."

In the course of his travails, Masaba alleged a plot to disenfranchise his family. Members of his family were prevented by thugs from registering to vote. Nine members of the Masaba family were injured by thugs whenever they attempted to register to vote.

After a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the release of Masaba from detention, he had 18 more children, having a total of 138. Masaba came into limelight with another super polygamist, Ziona Chana of India in 2011. As of May 2011, Masaba had 89 wives and 133 children while India's Ziona Chana had 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren.

In June 2012, Masaba had an interview with Jide Orintunsin where he debunked his rumoured death and said: "Large number of wives? I only have 97 wives. I am still going to marry more. I will keep marrying them for as long I am alive. Whoever is fighting me because of my wives or love life, such an individual has missed it. Left for me, I would have married maybe two wives, but what I am doing is divine. It is an assignment and I will keep marrying till the end of time. I just want to advise those fighting against the number of my wives to stop because such people are waging war against God, their creator."

Masaba died on 28 January 2017. At the time of his death, he had married 120 wives, divorced 10, and fathered 203 children, with some of his wives believed to be pregnant.

Source: Wikipedia

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