Nigerian musician, Banky W has waded into the child marriage debate in the country as more girls are being forced into marriages to the detriment of their own education.

The 39 year-old versatile musician took to his Twitter handle to voice his anger at the trend which is very prevalent in northern Nigeria where Islam is the dominant religion.

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He averred that if Saudi Arabia, the provenance of the Islamic religion has now adjusted their marriageable age to 18 years, then Nigeria has no excuse to still practice child marriage.

His statement drew an avalanche of backlash as many people did not agree to his position.

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Some Nigerians try to hide behind religion as the reason why they should be allowed to marry children. But if Saudi Arabia – the kingdom, the headquarters i.e. Mecca, can raise the age of Marriage to 18 (because it’s the right thing to do) then Nigeria has no excuse. #Timeup

SOURCE: AfricaCelebrities.com

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A family court in Ondo State, south-western Nigeria has stopped a Muslim cleric Alhaji Yusuf Lateef, from taking a 16-year-old girl as his 9th wife.

The court presided over by Justice Aderemi Adegoroye of a Family court in Akure, tje state capital ruled against the marriage thereby setting the teenager free.

According to reports, the Muslim cleric had requested to marry the girl after a meeting with her parents last year.

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The young girl’s parents agreed to the proposal and a date was fixed for the marriage ceremony amid protests from her

The teenager fled their home on the day fixed for the wedding with support from her elder brother who was also vehemently against the marriage.

She ended up at the state’s Commission of Women Affairs and Social Development to report her parents forced marriage on her. She was sheltered and legal works began to stop the marriage. 

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The cleric and the girl’s parents were put before the Family Court for breaching Part 3 of the 2007 Ondo State Child Rights Law which prohibits early and forced marriages.

The court ruled that the girl must be returned to her parents, and Alhaji Lateef made to sign an undertaking to stay away from the teenager as well as ensure no harm comes near her.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Titilola Adeyemi, said the teenager has been returned to her parents while the Muslim cleric has been warned to stay away from her.

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She also added the commission will be in constant touch with the teenager to ensure her safety and well-being. She also advised parents to stop giving their daughters up for marriage at an early age.

“We are excited the matter has gone that way. That will be a warning to everybody that it is no to child marriage in Ondo State. Child marriage is denying a child her future. We must make sure we work for the child to realise her future.”

SOURCE: AfricaCelebrities.com

The post Court Rescues 16 Year Old Girl From Being The 9th Wife Of A Cleric appeared first on AfricaCelebrities.Com.

A Nigerian man has been jailed 26 years for kidnapping a 14 year old girl and forcefully marrying her.

Justice Jane Inyang a Federal High Court judge in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, sentenced Yinusa Dalhiru to 26 years imprisonment for the offence.

The convict abducted the then 14-year-old teenage girl, Ese Oruru, from her home in Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria and transported her to Kano State in the north.

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He converted the girl to Islam and changed her name to Aisha. He forcefully got married to the teenager and impregnated her. The girl gave birth to a girl the following year.

The incident went viralsl across the country in 2015 when the media repored Ese’s abduction.

It was gathered that Yinusa had met the teenager at her mother’s shop where he buys food. He abducted and took her to Kano on August 12th, 2015.

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After months of outcry from her parents and child rights activists, she was returned to her parents in March 2016, pregnant with a child. She was delivered of her baby two months later.

Yinusa Dalhiru was arrested and put before a court on charges of child trafficking, child abuse, rape, kidnap, infringement of right of religion, and holding a person against their will.

After several years of trial, he was founded guilty of all the charges. His plea of mitigation was rejected by the female judge who handed him that long prison sentence.

SOURCE: AfricaCelebrities.com

The post Man Jailed 26 Years For Kidnapping And Marrying 14 Year Old Girl appeared first on AfricaCelebrities.Com.