CHRISTIAN COURT (CC/2/2021)- MRS KANU V MR KANU

In the matter of Mrs Kanu V Mr. Kanu

Case Brief: A wife brought the husband to the Christian Court for a determination on whether or not a husband has the right to keep information on his finances and wealth away from the wife.

Plaintiff: Mrs Ernestina Kanu

Defendant: Mr Adolf Kanu

Judge J-P: Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)

PROCEEDINGS

Judge J-P: Mrs Kanu, kindly enlighten this court concerning the fact of the issue brought for determination.

Mrs Kanu: Your Honour, my husband and I have been married for the past five years. We have two children. He is an accomplished contractor. After my national service, seeking employment became very challenging; therefore, I decided to pursue my passion as an entrepreneur. My husband supported me with a substantial amount to set up my business. I advised him that we open a joint investment account where I would be saving profits made from the business. He gladly obliged. Your Honour, for the past three years since I started the business of importing and retailing rice from China, I have been consistently sharing all the financial information and properties I have acquired and jointly registered in our name with my husband. The only challenge is that my husband has refused to share information concerning his finances and wealth acquired before and during our marriage with me. I have made my mobile money PIN available to my husband, but he has refused to let me know about his mobile PIN. Your Honour, I am greatly worried about this development. I am convinced that my husband does not trust me and that is a great cause of worry for me.

Judge J-P: Mr Kanu, do you have any statement of defence to the claims your wife has brought before this court?

Mr Kanu: Your Honour, I am happy you have all seen the kind of woman my wife is. She is indeed ungrateful! After all that I have done for her, especially giving her capital to start her successful and enviable business, what else does she want from me? In any case, I married her; she did not marry me. The Bible says the man is the head; don’t I have the power to do what I please with my money? Don’t I have the right to keep secret what is mine? Your Honour, I give her everything that she needs; I don’t know why she is prying her nose into my affairs. In any case, I gave her money to set up her business; therefore, I deserve to know how she is managing the business and the profit she is making. She does not do anything for me with the money she makes, although from the time she started the business she has been providing food and drink for our consumption while I also pay the school fees of the kids and take care of the utility bills. Your Honour, I am a man and won’t allow a woman to interfere with my issues.

Judge J-P: Mrs Kanu, do you have any further counterclaim to make?

Mrs Kanu: No, your honour.

Judge J-P: Mr Kanu, do you have any further statements to make before I deliver my judgement?

Mr Kanu: Yes, your honour, I want to place on record that my mobile money PIN is my private PIN and my mobile phone is my personal device. I want my wife to clearly understand these facts!

Judgement of Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)

I have listened to both parties and shall proceed to state the issues as identified from the facts presented and then go on to apply the Scriptural law or Biblical principles that settle the issues. The issues to be resolved are:

Whether or not a Christian couple, and for that matter Mr Kanu, has the right to keep secret his finances and wealth from his lawfully wedded wife, Mrs Kanu.
Whether or not a wife is subservient to a husband such that she has no right whatsoever to enquire into issues related to the husband’s business or affairs.

The issues shall be resolved seriatim.

Issue One: Financial Transparency in Christian Marriage

The primary question before this court is whether a Christian spouse—specifically Mr Kanu—holds any right to conceal financial information and personal wealth from his lawfully wedded wife, Mrs Kanu.

Before a couple marries, during the period commonly known as courtship or dating, every individual retains the freedom to disclose or withhold personal information as they see fit. However, once two individuals enter into holy matrimony, that right to privacy regarding core life matters ceases.

The foundational principle of marital transparency is established in Genesis 2:25:

“Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”

The word “naked” means to be uncovered, unreserved, and entirely devoid of concealment or disguise. In a Christian marriage, this concept goes far beyond physical clothing. It signifies that spouses must hold back nothing from one another.

Consider what marriage truly demands. The most valuable asset any human being possesses on this earth is their own body and life. Without our physical existence, earthly wealth means nothing. In marriage, two people freely gift their bodies and lives to one another. This reality leads to a simple, logical truth:

If a person trusts their spouse with their body—their most precious, priceless gift—on what grounds can they justify withholding material possessions or financial records?
If you have surrendered your very self to your partner, keeping money or property secret is completely contradictory.

Nothing in this world is more precious to Mr Kanu than the person and well-being of Mrs Kanu, just as nothing is more precious to Mrs Kanu than Mr Kanu. Material wealth and income are far less valuable than the life and body shared in marriage. Therefore, all resources must be fully shared and open to mutual view.

In a Christian marriage, spouses have no right to maintain secrets. They are called to be “naked” not only in the privacy of their bedroom, but equally transparent in their thoughts, emotions, plans, and financial affairs throughout the duration of their union.

The Standard for Exception

The only legitimate reason a spouse could ever justify withholding financial details is if they can prove—beyond a reasonable doubt and with clear, convincing evidence—that their partner is demonstrably untrustworthy or harbours sinister motives.

In this matter, Mr Kanu has presented no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Mrs Kanu is dishonest, reckless, or acting with ill intent. Consequently, Mr Kanu possesses no legal or spiritual right to hide his finances and wealth from his wife.

Issue Two: Headship, Submission, and Mutual Respect

The second question is whether a wife is subservient to her husband in a manner that strips her of the right to inquire into his business, finances, or personal affairs.

When the Apostle Paul addresses marital roles, he describes the husband as the head of the family. However, this does not reduce the wife to a servant or a second-class citizen. Marriage is not a master-servant, boss-employee, or king-subject arrangement. Instead, marriage is an equal partnership built on complementary roles.

Scripture explains this relationship in Ephesians 5:23–24:

“For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

To understand true headship, husbands must look to Jesus Christ as their model. Jesus is the Head of the Church, yet He led through humble service. Though He was Lord, He washed the feet of His disciples. He was never abusive, arrogant, or domineering. He used His authority to serve, protect, and sacrifice His life for those He led.

Likewise, a Christian husband fulfils his role as head not by demanding obedience, but by sacrificing his self-interest for his wife’s well-being. In response, a wife willingly honours and supports her husband, recognising his loving leadership.

This balance is reinforced in Ephesians 5:33:

“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

How can Mr Kanu claim to love his wife as himself while keeping vital financial facts hidden from her?

Furthermore, the record shows that Mr Kanu has acted with arrogance, ignoring the vital role Mrs Kanu plays in their household. Rather than listening to her reasonable requests with care, he responded with anger. This behaviour fails the standard of Christian love set forth in 1 Corinthians 13:4–5:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

A husband’s servant-leadership and a wife’s respect work together to create a peaceful, stable, and joyful home. Mrs Kanu is not Mr Kanu’s subordinate; she is his equal partner. As partners, they co-own their journey together and have every right to complete openness regarding their financial standing.

Final Judgment and Orders

This court finds Mr Kanu non-compliant with the biblical requirement of complete transparency (“nakedness”) in marriage and in breach of his duty to treat his wife as a full partner.

Judgment is hereby entered in favour of Mrs Kanu, and the court orders the following:

Full Disclosure: Mr Kanu is ordered to provide Mrs Kanu with a complete, written disclosure of all his financial accounts, assets, income, liabilities, and business interests within fourteen (14) days of this ruling.
Mandatory Counselling: Mr Kanu shall undergo a three-month marriage counselling program to learn the principles of Christian headship and partnership:
- Months 1 and 2: Individual counselling for Mr Kanu.
- Month 3: Joint post-marital counselling with Mrs Kanu.
Formal Apology: Within three (3) days, Mr Kanu shall deliver a sincere, unqualified apology to Mrs Kanu. This apology shall take place during a private dinner for two at a fine restaurant, with all expenses paid entirely by Mr Kanu.