Former presidential aide and controversial commentator, Reno Omokri, has ignited a heated debate across social media after declaring that only virgins should be considered brides, and that any demand for bride price on non-virgins is nothing short of extortion.
In a detailed post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, Omokri delved into what he described as a long-standing confusion in African societies between bride price and dowry, urging a return to what he claims are scriptural and traditional values.
> “A dowry is what a bride’s parents give her to take to her husband’s house. A bride price is what a groom pays to marry a virgin. They are not the same,” he asserted, citing Genesis 2:18 to back the idea that a woman is a helper, not a burden.
According to Omokri, bride price has its roots in African culture and Jewish law, and historically applies only to virgins. Quoting Exodus 22:17, he stated:
> “If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.”
The former aide didn’t hold back, accusing some African families of commercialising marital rites, especially when demanding large sums for non-virgins, calling it “Industrial Money Obtaining.”
He also referenced Yoruba cultural traditions where the validation of a woman’s virginity using a white cloth (“aso funfun”) could determine the legitimacy of a marriage and retention of the bride price.
> “When you pay for a non-virgin and call it bride price, you are simply being extorted,” Omokri declared.
He further claimed that Scripture only uses the word “bride” for virgins, quoting Isaiah 62:5, Jeremiah 2:32, and Song of Solomon 4:12 to support his assertion. He drew distinctions from biblical stories, noting that David paid bride price for Michal but not for Abigail, whom he claimed was not a virgin.
Omokri ended with a broader warning that Africa’s moral decline — evidenced by sexual permissiveness, broken homes, and rising STDs — is a direct result of abandoning what he calls “time-honoured norms.”
He also slammed white weddings as an un-African, misapplied European tradition, claiming that even its original form — where the bride’s father pays — has been twisted in Africa.
> “If we’re going to copy the white wedding, we should copy it fully — including letting the bride’s family pay for it,” he said mockingly.
The post has since gone viral, sparking fierce backlash and support alike — with some hailing him for “bold truth-telling” and others accusing him of promoting misogyny and purity-based discrimination.
Debate rages on: Is Omokri restoring moral values — or reinforcing harmful stereotypes?
