A Nigerian lawyer, Samuel Gift Onyinye Ola, has stirred debate online after advising men to take proactive legal steps to protect their assets in the event of a divorce.
In a Facebook post published on Wednesday, April 23, Onyinye stated that men who lose property to their spouses during divorce proceedings likely failed to prepare adequately. She urged men to consider setting up irrevocable trusts and registering assets in their children’s names as a preventive measure.
“If a woman divorces you and takes part of your property, it means you’re not smart as a man,” she wrote. “There’s something called an irrevocable trust. Register assets in the name of your kids—it ceases to be part of the marital property.”
Onyinye emphasized that timing is critical. “If you run to the trust during the divorce process, it won’t be honored—it becomes a malicious step,” she explained. “But if the trust was established before the marriage, it’s more likely to be considered separate property. If created during the marriage, it may still be subject to division.”
Her remarks have drawn mixed reactions on social media. While some praised the advice as practical and insightful, others condemned it as potentially deceptive and unfair to spouses.
