Royal splendour lit up Degema on Sunday, August 17, 2025, as the Amanyanabo of Elem Kalabari, Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo (Dabaye Amakiri I), gave out his daughter, Miss Rukayat Becky Omoro, in marriage to Abdurrazaq Tamunodiepriye Cline. The colourful ceremony, which held inside the Dokubo royal villa, fused rich Kalabari cultural rites with a solemn Islamic Nikkah.
Delivering a stirring charge to the bride, Dokubo urged his daughter to be “totally submissive” to her husband, declaring that patience, humility, and respect are the true pillars of successful marriages. He reminded her that honouring her husband’s family was an extension of honouring her own father’s name.
Dokubo emphasised that the union must be firmly anchored on the teachings of the Qur’an, saying no modern idea must be allowed to shake the divine order of marriage. His message sparked whispers among guests, many praising his unapologetically traditional stance amid rising debates around gender roles.
The groom, Abdurrazaq Tamunodiepriye Cline, a young Niger Delta entrepreneur, described his bride as “a priceless treasure.” He vowed to uphold his own duties of protection, provision, tenderness and guidance, stating that submission must also be earned with wisdom and kindness.
Dignitaries spanning Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States attended the event, including traditional rulers, clerics, oil industry chiefs, and political figures. The atmosphere was carnival-like as Kalabari masquerades performed alongside brekete drummers, while Imams recited Quranic verses in the bridal chambers.
With hundreds of well-wishers chanting blessings, the bridal party danced into the night, draped in beaded headpieces and multi-layered George wrappers symbolising marital wealth and fertility under Kalabari custom.
The new couple is expected to host a walima (Islamic wedding feast) in Port Harcourt next week before jetting off to Morocco for their honeymoon — marking the start of a union rooted in both royal tradition and deep spiritual conviction.
