Adultery and Cheating in marriage, is not a crime, hence, your Legally Married Husband or Wife cannot be punished for adultery under the Law.
Meaning that, it’s not a crime for your husband to have a Girlfriend and it’s also not a crime for you as a wife to have a Man Friend.
But if your Husband or wife, whom you are legally married to, makes attempt or went ahead to marry another person secretly while you are still alive.
If your husband impregnates another lady outside your marriage or you as a wife gets pregnant for another man while you are still legally married to your husband.
You have committed a Criminal Offence under Section 370 of the Criminal Code Acts and you are Guilty of a Felony which is liable to imprisonment of 7 years with hard Labour.
So, if you know you are not going to be fateful to your partner after marriage, pls stay away from Court marriage so that you will not end up going to Jail because of marriage.
years, and/or with a fine for the crime of adultery committed in that region.
So to answer the question; “whether adultery is a crime in Nigeria”? the answer will depend on what region of Nigerian law applies to you. If you are in Northern states, Yes, adultery is a crime and you can go to jail for the crime of adultery but if you are in Southern region, then No, adultery is not a crime.
In summary, under the Nigerian criminal justice system, the country is polarized into two criminal laws: the Criminal code and the Penal code/Sharia Law.
While the Criminal code is applicable to Southern Nigeria, the Penal code and Sharia law is applicable to the Northern states. Under the criminal code, adultery is not a crime, hence, a person cannot be punished for adultery in Southern Nigeria but a person can be punished with 2 years imprisonment term and or with a fine in Northern Nigeria where the penal code/ Sharia law applies.
Credit : Opera News