SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba − It was a dramatic scene in the Airfield Central Zone Community in Sanniquellie on Sunday, July 28, when an 80-year-old man who was to get wedded to his longtime partner of 34 years at the First United Methodist Church was held hostage by his children for his failure to hand over to them the deed to a 1.5 lot of land he owns.

The wedding between Amos N. Nyanquee and his 72-year-old fiancée, Dorcas Vonyee Nongon, was prevented by the groom’s children, who locked him indoors, demanding the ownership documents for the parcel of land.

The oldest son, Francis Nyanquee, explained that they were not informed about the marriage ceremony and accused the Methodist Church and their stepmother’s family of imposing the marriage.

The younger Nyanquee said during previous discussions about their father’s marriage to their stepmother; they had requested that she turn over the deed to the land before they proceeded with the marriage. However, he said Nongon refused to release the document until she was legally married to their father, whom she has lived with for over 30 years. She also demanded compensation for her time with their father as a condition for turning over the land documents.

It was initially rumored that the church had covered the wedding cost, including clothes, food, and marriage certificates, as both the groom’s and bride’s families said they could not afford the expenses. However, the elder son of the groom termed the church’s alleged action a “disadvantage” to them.

Elder son of the groom, Francis Nyanquee perusing a photocopy of land ownership documents. Photo by Marian Quoi of Radio Nimba.

A photocopy of the land ownership documents presented to the children to allow the marriage ceremony to go ahead was rejected, as they demanded to be presented with the original copy. Even if they had been given the original copy, the children said they would plan a new date for the ceremony, which they would fully fund.

“The wedding was not done in the proper manner – and that brought about dissatisfaction,” Francis Nyanquee said. “We are supposed to take the initiative of our parents’ program; it should not be the church. The church left us out and only planned with our ma’s family, and it’s not supposed to be like that.”

He added: “For the land deed, it was unknowingly taken from the old man because, at his age, he can’t make decisions for himself. We, the children, have decided to re-plan for our father and mother’s marriage when the proper deed is handled to us.”

Another son, Larkpor Nyanquee, alleged that his sister and their stepmother were already working to transfer the land ownership to his sister.

As a result of the altercation with his children, the groom was rushed to the G.W. Harley Hospital and hospitalized for a hypertension crisis.

Meanwhile, the Sanniquellie’s First United Methodist Church pastor has refuted allegations that the church was forcing the couple into marriage.

Rev. Stanley Mabah disclosed that the groom and bride-to-be met the church and requested marriage in fulfillment of biblical scriptures.

Rev. Mabah said the church had only decided to help with some requirements for the ceremony’s success, and after several meetings with both families, they agreed on July 28 as the date for the wedding.

He said one of the groom’s daughters who resides in Karweaken, River Gee, had sent the money and costumes for her father’s wedding. He said it was surprising to hear that the groom’s sons had accused the church of planning the wedding without their knowledge when, in fact, the new date for the ceremony was agreed upon by both families.

On the issue regarding the land ownership documents, he said when it first came up during the planning stage of the wedding, he had asked the families to resolve it before they could go ahead with the wedding. After some time, he said the bride and groom-to-be returned and reported that everything was resolved, and they could proceed with the marriage.

He said while he was being threatened with being beaten by the children on the day of the wedding and aborted the ceremony, the church had no intention of pursuing any legal battle with the family.

He said the church had waived the money it spent on the wedding, but he did not say whether or not the church would host the wedding when the children finally reached an agreement for their father to marry their stepmother.

He noted, “The church is not the one that scheduled the wedding, the church is not the one that instigated the wedding, the church did not initiate the wedding. The people came to me as the senior pastor that, ‘Oh, we are getting old. We want to get married.’ That’s how the church started stepping in, showing the way to them,” he added.

The children’s action to call off their father’s wedding has sparked debate in the public, with many saying that their action is wrong and that they can be sued for it. Many believe that the children’s request to inherit their father’s property while he is still alive was out of ignorance of the law.

Liberia’s inheritance law states that children cannot inherit their parents’ properties while they are still alive and the properties registered in their names.

Featured photo by Marian Quoi of Radio Nimba