By Mahmoud
A remarkable love story has unfolded in Bauchi State after 70-year-old Abubakar Sadiq Ladan and his former lover, 60-year-old Hajiya Fatsuma Umar Kulani, reunited and got married five decades after they first met as young lovers.
The marriage was solemnised at Kwallaga Juma’at Mosque in Bauchi metropolis, bringing to an extraordinary conclusion a relationship that began when the couple were young and continued to live in their memories despite their separation, subsequent marriages and five decades without seeing each other.
Speaking after the wedding, an emotional Abubakar recalled how he first met Fatsuma. He said he was walking with a friend when they spotted two young women, prompting his friend to encourage him to approach them.
He eventually asked for Fatsuma’s name and learned that she was called Fatima, although she was too shy to speak directly to him.
Abubakar said he later obtained directions to her family home and began visiting her, but their relationship faced an unexpected challenge when her family changed residence.
Because mobile phones were not available at the time, he had to rely on his knowledge of her father’s workplace to trace the family to their new location, allowing their relationship to continue.
However, after only about two days following one of their encounters, the relationship suddenly ended, and the two went their separate ways. Fatsuma later got married, while Abubakar also married three years afterwards.
For the next 50 years, they never reunited, although Abubakar occasionally saw Fatsuma on television during her time with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Bauchi.
Fatsuma, who is a former Manager of Programmes at NTA Bauchi, said she was still a secondary school student in Form Two when she met Abubakar. She recalled that they were in love at the time but eventually separated, with both later getting married and pursuing their respective lives.
According to Fatsuma, after her marriage ended, she never expected to marry again because of her age.
She said she initially rejected Abubakar’s proposal when he returned and expressed his desire for them to marry, telling him that they were already advanced in age and should instead maintain a relationship based on family ties.
Abubakar, however, did not give up. Fatsuma said he continued trying to convince her, involving respected elders in his efforts until she eventually agreed to the marriage. She described their reunion and wedding as something she had never expected to happen in her lifetime.
The couple’s story has since attracted attention because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding their reunion. After half a century apart, the former lovers have finally become husband and wife, offering a remarkable reminder of how unexpected life can be. As they begin this new chapter together, family, friends and well-wishers have prayed for peace, happiness, good health and lasting blessings in their marriage.
About The Author
