Bigamy Has Been Legalised In Lagos State

So now you can be legally married to two spouses at the same time, and you will not contravene any law in Lagos State of Nigeria because according to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeola Ipaye, the the old law is no longer useful.

Ipaye said it became necessary to remove bigamy because the state government found out that there was no need to criminalise the offence.
He nevertheless said bigamy would now be treated as a civil offence and such a marriage would simply be dissolved without any criminal proceedings being instituted against the offender.

"Yes, bigamy was expunged from the amended criminal code. It was necessitated by the need to decriminalise it. What this means is that it is no longer a criminal offence when a man or woman who is legally married to contract another marriage. Instead, the marriage remains null and void," he said.

But speaking to THISDAY last night, a legal practitioner and Chairperson, Women Empowerment & Legal Aid, Mrs Funmi Falana, said the organisation was already in court to challenge the decriminalisation of bigamy.

"In any case, bigamy is still in the federal law. So if Lagos fails to prosecute you, the Federal Government can take it up," she told THISDAY on phone.