The Bayelsa State Government has frowned at the child marriage involving a four-year-old girl and a 54-year-old man in the Akeddei community, Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
The State Government, in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman, Gender Response Initiative Team, Dr. Dise Ogbise-Goddy, and the Director, Child Development at the State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and Social Development, Paniebi Jacob, described the union as illegal and invited the parents of the parties involved.
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The government said the illegal marriage was not based on tradition and customs, stressing that it was repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience.
The statement added, “The Bayelsa State government did not hesitate to assent to the passage of the Bayelsa State Child Rights Law.
“We are taking steps to rescue the child from all the key actors in this illegal ceremony that they tagged a’mere spiritual’ affair.
“The law is clear on issues of tradition and customs repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience. Working with the Bayelsa State Police Command, we shall ensure incidents like this do not occur in the state again.
“On behalf of the governor of Bayelsa State, we express our gratitude to all the non-governmental organisations, including the International Federation of Women Lawyers and DO Foundation, that have risen to the rescue of this innocent child.
“Bayelsa State is children-friendly, and this case will be pursued to a logical conclusion.”
A child rights advocacy group in Bayelsa, DO Foundation, kicked against the December 26 traditional marriage between a 4-year-old ‘bride’ and a 54-year-old man in the Akeddei community in the Sagbama Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.
DO Foundation, in a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa, described the marriage as illegal, criminal, and a child marriage, which is against the constitution and the Child Rights Act.
Mr. Elvis Mannie, Bayelsa Chairperson of the DO Foundation, signed the statement.
The foundation condemned child marriage as horrendous, despicable, and a criminal activity.
According to the civil society group, the act is capable of retarding the giant strides made by the government and people of Bayelsa in the area of the protection of child rights.”
The DO Foundation noted that the Child’s Rights Law was domesticated in the state in 2016 and is still in force in Bayelsa.
”This law criminalises child marriages and child betrothals, prescribing various terms of imprisonment and heavy fines,” the foundation noted.
The foundation called on the Bayelsa government, the Gender Response Initiative Team, and all stakeholders in the gender response system to immediately swing into action to respond appropriately.
It urged the security agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the incident with a view to protecting the child from sexual exploitation.
The group also demanded the arrest and prosecution of all persons culpable in this despicable act.
The foundation has launched an investigation into the development to save the child from the obnoxious situation.
NAN learned that the marriage between the four-year-old ‘bride’ and the 54-year-old man, identified as Elder Akpos, was at the instance of the girl’s parents.
According to a source who does not wish to be named for fear of penalty for desecrating traditions, the parents of the girl claim that the 54-year-old man was her husband in their previous life.
According to community sources, the girl claimed that the man was her husband, who died mysteriously in their previous lives.
The toddler narrated that over the years, she has been moving from place to place to be given birth to by different parents, searching for her former husband.
The source said:The little bride said if she were not allowed to marry her husband, she would have no other business in the Akeddei community, and that she was going to die peacefully and go her way.
“To avoid losing the girl to death, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two previous life lovers.”