Better Late Than Never, Awal, 74, Marries First Wife | Tellwell Newspaper

It’s better late than never, so goes the popular saying. This saying aptly fits the story of Mallam Muhammad Awal in Lokoja, Kogi State, who believes that at 74, he was still not too old to take his first wife.

Awal wedded a 45-year-old divorcee, Mallama Rahmat Muhammad, in Nigeria’s North Central city of Lokoja, on Sunday, August 28, Tellwell Newspaper has gathered.

Speaking on why he had stayed this late in life before marrying, the septuagenarian said lack of money discouraged him from approaching a woman for marriage.

“I have always been afraid I might fail in my duty of care to a spouse if I married and it is something I fear and don’t want to joke with,” he said, adding, “I am also afraid of separation from my spouse. I know if I fail to take care of her, she might either leave me or cheat on me with another man, which I would not like.”

To avoid such traumatizing situations, he said “I dismissed the idea of marriage altogether. But now, Allah has made this a reality.”

On whether, before marrying Rahmat, he had ever approached any woman with a marriage proposal, he said; “I have… Many. This was when I was much younger. Many of them looked down on me, mostly because of my financial status. But I thank God it is in the past.”

On what attracted him to his new wife and whether he would sire children with her, he said, “Apart from the fact that she is beautiful, she is also down-to-earth, understanding, religious and rooted in the marital institution.”

Tellwell Newspaper reports that Awal, however, said, “Only Allah knows if we are going to have children. You never know what the Almighty can do. It is not in our hands, but His hands.”

On her part, Rahmat said that it was destined that they would end up as a couple.

“Allah has a reason for bringing us together and my prayers is for him to bless us and give us peace and understanding in our home,” she added.