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By Tracy Moses
Former presidential aide and controversial social commentator, Reno Omokri, has once again sparked outrage, this time declaring that only virgins are worthy of bride price, branding any monetary demand for non-virgins as “extortion.”
In a post shared via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, Omokri argued that there is widespread ignorance surrounding the traditional and biblical meanings of “dowry” and “bride price,” especially across sub-Saharan Africa.
“There is a clear distinction between dowry and bride price,” Omokri stated. “Unfortunately, these concepts are often confused, even though they originate from entirely different cultural and religious traditions.”
According to him, dowry refers to the wealth a woman’s family gives her upon marriage, property she brings into her new home. He noted that this custom is common in parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and reflects biblical perceptions of women as partners in the home.
However, Omokri was emphatic that bride price is a cultural and religious obligation strictly meant for virgins. He cited Exodus 22:17, which he said supports the payment of bride price only in cases where the bride is a virgin.
Delving into Yoruba traditions, particularly among the Lukumi people, Omokri referenced the aso funfun (white cloth) ritual, a cultural practice used to confirm a bride’s virginity after the wedding night. Where virginity isn’t confirmed, he said, the bride price is returned and the marriage deemed void.
“Bride price for a non-virgin is not only unbiblical, it is exploitation. If you’re no longer a virgin, demanding large sums or expensive gifts from a man’s family is extortion, not tradition,” he declared.
Omokri, known for blending Christian teachings with cultural commentary, argued that Scripture consistently equates the term “bride” with virginity, referencing Isaiah 62:5, Jeremiah 2:32, and Song of Solomon 4:12.
He also pointed to the biblical example of King David, who paid a bride price for Michal, daughter of Saul (1 Samuel 18:20–27), but paid none for Abigail (1 Samuel 25:40–42), suggesting that Michal’s virginity was the qualifying factor.
In his final remarks, Omokri warned that Africa’s continued drift from its moral and spiritual values could further damage the continent’s socio-cultural fabric.
“If we abandon traditional values and promote unrestrained sexual freedom, we’ll keep grappling with unstable families, high STD rates, and social decline,” he wrote.
He didn’t spare white weddings either, criticizing them as a “European tradition” wrongly adopted by Africans and mistaken for Christianity.
“The white wedding isn’t African, and it’s not Christian either. Even in Europe, it’s the bride’s father who pays for the ceremony, not the groom or his family,” Omokri concluded, taking one last shot at modern marriage practices: “Industrial Money Obtainers, I hope you’re listening?”