Kabiyesi O!- meaning, who can question the King as his words are yea and Amen.
Typical of a traditional institution, a king is seen as the representative of the gods and his words is authority and unquestionable. The people believe he (King) speaks the mind of the God, as such all obeyed his instruction with out questioning the modalities prompting such words. For one to be called a king, he must have a domain or kingdom, which must not be empty but made up of people who he leads and rules. He must be assisted by chiefs to govern other smaller communities that makes up the kingdom. The king have assess to many wives as he pleases, who will not want to be the wife of a king?

Talking about acquiring wives like material things in the existence of mankind, no king on earth, living or dead have equaled the record of king Solomon who acquired women like property.
He loved strange women, together with the daughters of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians and Hitites.

All together he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, king Solomon, showing that he is a true king, ended up with one thousand women. Can you beat that? What a king, you may want to say.

In the pursuit to beat the record of king Solomon an Islamic cleric, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello- Masaba, 84 acquired 86 women as wives. He may not have had high taste like king Solomon who married princesses but he has a meek of human kindness flowing in his veins. He has provided succour to some of the women who were lonely and roamed the street as prostitutes since they were becoming a threat to some marital homes. He decided in his own little way of contributing to the development of the society by transforming these prostitutes into his wives.

Has he really done something wrong? Don’t you think he is just being generous and seeks to in fulfil the scriptures that says, “seven women shall take hold of one man, saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach” Isaiah 4:1; He is only contributing his own quota for a peaceful society and a happy family by clearing the street off prostitutes. Is he supposed to be arrested or honoured with an award?

The journey from freedom to incarcaretion for king Masaba also known as the number one polygamist in Nigeria and the man with a lion heart, started on September 15, 2008 when he was arrested by the Police in Bidda, Niger State. He was arraigned before an Upper Sharia Court in the state capital, Minna and was charged for inciting and insulting contempt of religious creed contrary to the state penal code and had been in custody since then. The offence committed by Baba as fondly called by his wives is that he married too many women. But his wives are praising him as they said that he is still full of life and energy as he takes care of his conjugal obligation like that of a 30 years old man. The wives are thus satisfied as they are not starved of sex.

Masaba who was whisked away from his home town in Bidda must have been missed by his wives. They must have had lonely nights since his arrest and as a result, they came out openly to protest the arrest of their heartthrob and breadwinner. The women came in three vehicles to the ministry of justices in Minna to register their displeasure about the arrest.

King Masaba has successfully controlled 86 wives and 170 children who makes up his kingdom that has been in unity, peace, love and harmony before the invasion by the police and was arrested for incendiary contempt of religious laws and contracting unlawful marriage to 86 wives.

The arrest was seen by some people as injustice on the part of Masaba and as such, some human right group swung into action to save the king from the net of religious laws. 86 lawyers were mobilized to defend him against the charges leveled against him.

Why are they troubling this man? Was king Solomon ever arrested for having one thousand women to himself? If no, then Masaba should not also be arrested because his kingdom is not and was not in crises. Infact there was peace in his domain made up of his 86 wives and 170 children who he presides over as king.

Speculation has been on that Baba must have used “juju” on the women. That it is not possible for him to win the hearts of all the women. Listen to what Hajiya Hafsat, the third wife of Masaba for 20 years have to say, “it is a lie, Baba never used ‘juju’ to marry us, we married him because we love him. He legally married us, if we are not complaining, our parents are not either, what is the Sharia Commission or who is the Etsu Nupe to complain for us?” Doesn’t she have a point there? Whoever wears the shoes knows where it pinches so says a wise saying. The wives in one voice said the shoe they are wearing fits their legs No pain and on complain. If these women are not complaining, why the complain from other quotas? King Masaba never borrowed money from local, state nor the federal government to take care of his kingdom. If this is true, don’t you think this man should be allowed to live his life in style?

The life style of the new king of Polygamy, Alhaji Bello Masaba may have attracted sharp criticism and indignation from the Northern part of the country, particularly from Islamic cleric who argued that Islam allows only four wives, anything more is offensive to the law guiding them. He should be commended and honoured for reducing prostitution in his vicinity for some of his wives have been alleged to have been taken off the streets and their business (prostitution) and were given a lease of life by Alhaji Masaba.

A media report had it that, despite the slamming of a fatwa or death sentence on him by Islamic Clerics led by the Fama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the threat to banish him from his home town if he refuses to divorce 82 out of 86, leaving him with just four wives, Masaba never relented but keeps on fighting for his freedom. His struggled paved off when his counsel Eno Akpan secured a bail for him on October 20, 2008, having spent one month and almost a week.

In a bid to fight and seek for the release of Masaba the case was first taken to the Federal High Court in Minna, the Niger state capital on October 15, 2008, where it was dismissed by Justics Yahuza Sabin saying that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case.

His counsel, Mrs. Eno Akpan in reaction to the judgment said that the battle for bail would continue and that they would seek his bail at the Chief Magistrate Court. True to her word, the case was truly moved to the Magistrate Court where he actually got a conditional protective freedom.

In the ruling of the magistrate Court led by the trial magistrate Ahmed Bima was given as protective bail and ordered to stay within Minna.

One would not but be forced to ask, if the judgment is fair on him? If yes, then who takes case of his other 82 wives and children while he remains in Minna? Is this not an invitation for the wives to become adulterous? Do they want the wives to return to the streets to cause more havoc and break many homes? Since he is capable of meeting all the needs of his wives, is there any need to go to court again come November 5th? This and many more questions are begging for answers. He should be given full freedom to return to his home, and live happily with his wives and children again.