According to Boss Newspapers, a source in Benin said the Ooni was initially reluctant to collect the bride price but was persuaded by the Elders as a way of closing the controversial marriage and separation.
“She’s free now, she’s free…,” the Ooni was quoted to have exclaimed afterward.
The Elders had sued for an amicable settlement instead of a rough separation. Both families appeared relieved about this final foreclosure of the marriage that lasted less than two years.
According to a Yoruba source, it is imperative that the bride price be returned even as it is just a token, adding that it holds significant value and meaningful according to tradition.
“When a bride price is returned, the man no longer has ties or rights over the woman in question, and they can only see themselves afterward as friends if they so desire,” the Yoruba source explained.
