Citizen Scandal: 84-Year-Old Man Asked To Divorce 82 Wives, Keep 4

The Nigerian government has stepped in to help Mohammed Bello Abubakar, an 84-year-old Muslim preacher, after local religious leaders in Bida ordered that he divorce all but four of his 86 wives (the limit under sharia law). It seems Abubakar might have had his rights violated when he was threatened with death and exile if he didn’t shed most of his ladies pronto. While Abubakar, a faith healer, is obviously engaging in some creepy cultishness, you have to wonder how nobody noticed or complained until he had over 20 times the number of allowed wives. Wouldn’t that be a hard secret to keep? [Reuters]