On Monday 25th, a day after Sallah, some dance videos trended on social media.
It seemed to have started after one Aisha Falke, the owner of Northern Hibiscus, a page on Instagram, saw the video of a woman dancing for her husband.
The challenge, known as #danceforhusbandchallenge, was widely shared with some thrilled by it and others showing stiff reservations, saying it’s not in the culture of northern Nigerian women.
Daily Trust gathered that the challenge required participants to record a video of a wife dancing for her husband in a large and beautiful parlour.
The woman must wear a bubu lace with bangles on her hands. Also, the husband would be seated and the song of Jaruma by Hamisu Breaker will be played.
All efforts to reach singer Hamisu Breaker for his comment proved difficult because his line was unreachable.
Reacting, Kannywood actress Saratu Gidado, known as Daso, who shared many of the videos on her Instagram page, said on social media, “This year’s Eid we have seen love on social media. Do you think I should also share my own video?” she asked and tagged actors like Mansurah Isah, Baballe Hayatu and Abba el-Mustapha.
Another actor, El-Mustapha said, “If she is not showing this kind of love to her husband, she can lose him.”
In a different video, Mansurah wrote, “This man is used to attending wedding ceremonies. The way he is spraying money, you will understand.”
However, a prominent Facebook user, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, said one of his former bosses divorced his wife after she shared their video.
He said, “Innalillahi wa inna ilaihirrajiun. I just realized that one of my former bosses divorced his wife for releasing to the public, the #Dancingforhusbands challenge last night.
“The most unfortunate thing is that it’s a marriage of 19 years with three kids; she has been the only wife in the house.”
The Editor-in-Chief of Daily Nigerian Newspaper, Jafar Jafar wrote, “though I don’t subscribe to this kind of nonsense, but if this is actually the reason, I think it’s undeserved.”
The comments continued, with some supporting the husband’s actions while others criticised it.
Reacting to the development, Aisha Falke said on Instagram: “We are giving too much energy to things that don’t affect our lives in any way.
“The energy from yesterday was misplaced if you ask me. Where is this energy when grown men rape babies?
“Where is this energy when our young girls are being molested with false hopes of marriage?
“Where is this energy when our young teenage girls are being divorced per second?”
In a video she posted, Falke said she did not start the challenge, adding that the purported issue of divorce was actually a lie.
