Only Virgins Deserve Bride Price — Says Reno Omokri; Gives Reason
Reno Omokri, former presidential aide, on virgins bride price
Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has said that only virgins should be considered eligible for bride price, arguing that any financial demand for a non-virgin in marriage is not only untraditional but constitutes extortion.
In a post shared via his official Facebook account on Sunday, Omokri addressed what he described as a widespread misconception in African societies between the concepts of dowry and bride price.
“There is a huge difference between a dowry and a bride price. But in this part of the world (Sub-Saharan Africa), we use them interchangeably. But they are not interchangeable,” he stated.
He explained that dowry refers to the property a bride receives from her parents, which becomes joint property with her husband after marriage.
“A dowry is the money and property given to a female child on her wedding day, by her parents, to take to her husband’s home to become the joint property of both her and her husband. It is practised in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. This is in line with the Biblical injunction that a wife is a helper to her husband, not a burden—Genesis 2:18,” he wrote.
In contrast, Omokri described bride price as a separate tradition, rooted in both African and Jewish customs, which applies only when the bride is a virgin.
“A bride price, however, is different. In African culture, and Jewish traditions and law, it is the property or money demanded by a bride’s family to give her away in marriage to her intended husband, on the grounds that she is a virgin,” he wrote, citing Exodus 22:17 and Yoruba customs.
According to him, biblical law supports this tradition: “If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.”
He referenced the Lukumi Yoruba tradition where virginity is confirmed by a white cloth used during consummation.
“If the bride’s virginity is not proven by the aso funfun (white cloth on which the marriage is consummated on the bridal night), being stained, the marriage is not valid and the bride price will be returned.”
Omokri criticised practices where large sums of money or property are demanded in marriages involving non-virgins.
“The exorbitant demand for property and money by some Sub-Saharan African ethnicities, who I will not identify, for a woman who is not a virgin is not legally and technically a bride price. It is extortion!”
He backed his argument with scriptural references, saying the Bible consistently associates the term “bride” with virginity.
“If you read Scripture, the term ‘bride’ is never used for a woman who is not a virgin,” he said. “For example, Isaiah 62:5 is very clear on the matter. That verse says: ‘For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons shall marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.’”
He added, “Also, Jeremiah 2:32 says: ‘Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?’ These verses prove that bridehood is synonymous with virginity. Song of Solomon 4:12 is even more explicit. That verse says: ‘A locked up garden is my sister, my bride; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain.’”
Although he acknowledged that men can marry non-virgins, Omokri argued that such unions should not attract bride price.
“As a man, by African tradition and Scriptural law, you can marry a woman who is not a virgin. But such a woman is not a bride. And you should not pay any bride price for her.”
He cited examples from the Bible to support his claim. “You will notice that David paid a bride price for King Saul’s daughter in 1 Samuel 18:20-27. However, he did not pay a bride price for Abigail—1 Samuel 25:40-42.”
Warning of societal consequences, he added, “If we in Africa do not return to these traditions and continue the moral decadence in our society, where sex and sensuality are not curtailed, we will continue to be the dregs of the world, with high rates of sexually transmitted diseases.”
Omokri also condemned the widespread practice of white weddings in Africa, arguing they are neither Christian nor African in origin.
“A White wedding is not our culture in Africa, and it is not a Christian wedding. It is purely a European traditional wedding.”
