Chief Ogbole Iseku is an octogenarian and a super-polygamist living at Sabon Gari in Doma town in Nasarawa State. In a chat with Weekly Trust, he explained the reasons behind his marriage to 30 women. Excerpts:
Weekly Trust: Can you give a brief insight into your life?
Chief Ogbole Iseku: My name is Ogbole Iseku. I was born and brought up in Doma town about 89 years ago and I am the traditional title holder of Ogbulaya, which is one of the most highly esteemed titles in Doma.
I am married to 30 women and God Almighty has blessed us with numerous children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
WT: Is that why you were crowned as the ‘king of women’?
Ogbole: That is not the reason. You know, I hail from the royal family and I am entitled to inherit the throne of Andoma na Doma (Emir of Doma). Despite not being the Emir now, I am not barred from holding other traditional titles. My first title is Ose-Gayinya, meaning ‘king of women.’ This is because in the olden days, any girl who was due to be married within Doma would be brought to me, for me to bless her. This is the origin of my traditional title of Sarkin Mata (king of women). And from there my status was upgraded to my present title as the third in command in Doma Kingdom.
WT: What are the reasons behind your marriage to 30 women?
Ogbole: First, I am married to numerous women because of the frequent death of my children. Second, to get helping hands on my farmland. Right from the beginning, I have been a farmer and businessman.
WT: Where do you settle with your wives?
Ogbole: As I am talking to you now, I live with my nine wives in this house, the remaining reside at Unguwar Gasa and Unguwar Masallaci and Unguwar Mahauta; all these are residential areas in Doma town.
To be candid, I do not know the number of my children, because some of my wives still give birth. Even the one I am holding in my hand is my child. But if you can be patient enough, I can call my wives one by one, so that each can tell you the number of her children.
WT: Have you ever regretted marrying them?
Ogbole: To be sincere, I did once, but I have never contemplated divorcing any of them. What made me regret marrying them once was the day I came back from the farm and found them fighting each other. As I made effort to settle the dispute they all turned against me, every one of them thinking that I would be on the other side.
I therefore left my house for my grains shop at Doma market, until the situation was calm before I returned home.
WT: Would you want your children to become polygamists like you?
Ogbole: I don’t want any of my children or our teeming youth to imitate my marriage lifestyle, even though we are living peacefully. My reason is that among my children there are both Muslims and non-Muslims. But as for me, I am a traditionalist. By and large, as I told you earlier, I am a royalist. And God has blessed me with some worldly riches. So, if care is not taken, as soon as I am dead, my children would be disunited in an attempt to outdo one another to get hold of my traditional title or the distribution of my estates among themselves. I hope this will not happen.
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