Bride-to-be disappears from Nikah ceremony in Ilorin

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

A Nikah ceremony in the Alanamu area of Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State took an unexpected turn on Sunday when the bride-to-be, an 18-year-old, went missing moments before the solemnization.

According to an eyewitness who spoke to Western Post on Monday, preparations for the Islamic wedding were already in full swing when the bride was discovered to be absent from her family home, the venue of the ceremony.

“Three days before the wedding, she had been complaining about not wanting to wear the same outfit and color as the groom,” the eyewitness revealed.

Canopies had been set up, guests were in high spirits, and family members of both parties were gathered to celebrate the union when it became clear the bride was nowhere to be found. The groom, said to be in his late twenties, and other relatives were reportedly thrown into confusion by the development. After waiting in vain, they eventually left the venue without the bride.

The eyewitness, who identified the bride as his younger sister, said the couple had met in a village and agreed to get married. “She brought the man home and introduced him as the one she wanted to marry. A small family introduction was done, and the wedding date was fixed,” he said.

“Yesterday was supposed to be her wedding. But she disappeared. When it was clear she was not coming, people started leaving one after the other.”

Later that evening, the groom reportedly returned to the village where they first met. It was there that he received a phone call from the missing bride, who checked on his well-being and asked how his journey went—further fueling speculation that she intentionally avoided the ceremony, possibly due to second thoughts.

As of the time of filing this report, the reason for her disappearance remains unclear, and there has been no official comment from the families involved.