Paying Bride Price for Non-Virgins Is Extortion, Says Reno Omokri

Former presidential aide and social commentator, Reno Omokri, has stirred debate after asserting that the traditional practice of paying bride price should apply only to women who are virgins at the time of marriage. He made this statement via a series of posts on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday.

Omokri argued that the modern-day interpretation of bride price across many African societies has deviated from its original cultural and religious context, describing its application to non-virgins as “extortion.”

“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 wrote.

According to Omokri, dowry refers to the wealth or property given by the bride’s parents to their daughter at marriage, making it a form of inheritance that becomes the joint property of the couple. He said this aligns with the Biblical principle in Genesis 2:18, which describes the wife as a “helper,” not a burden.

In contrast, he defined bride price as a payment traditionally demanded by the bride’s family on the condition that the bride was a virgin. Citing both Biblical references and African traditions, particularly those of the Lukumi Yoruba, Omokri said the bride price was expected to be returned if a bride’s virginity could not be confirmed through traditional symbols such as the aso funfun — the white cloth used to validate consummation on the wedding night.

“If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins,” Omokri wrote, quoting scripture and traditional practice. “And according to the Lukumi Yoruba, if the bride’s virginity is not proven… the marriage is not valid and the bride price will be returned.”

He also called for a return to African traditions and values, warning against what he called a rise in moral decay due to the abandonment of cultural norms. He linked this erosion to increased promiscuity and sexually transmitted infections across the continent.

“If we in Africa do not return to these traditions and continue the moral decadence in our society… we will continue to be the dregs of the world,” he stated.

Omokri further criticized white weddings, calling them neither African nor authentically Christian. “A white wedding is not our culture in Africa, and it is not a Christian wedding. It is purely a European traditional wedding,” he concluded.