FG takes action as Niger speaker moves to marry off 100 girls

The Federal Government through the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and also sought a court injunction to stop Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, the Speaker of the Niger State Assembly, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls.

According to her, plans to marry off the girls are unacceptable as there are rights protecting children in the country.

The Speaker recently announced his plans to marry off the orphaned girls, who reportedly lost their parents due to banditry attacks in the Mariga local government area of the state.

The Speaker announced that marrying them off would be part of his constituency project.

According to him, the gesture is aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished. He also pledged to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and procured materials for the mass marriage.

However, while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, Kennedy-Ohanenye described the plans as totally unacceptable and emphasised that a full-scale investigation has commenced to know if the girls gave their consent.

She said, “I want to let the honorable speaker of the house in Niger State to know that this is totally unacceptable by the Federal Minister of Women Affairs and by the government, totally unacceptable.

“Because there is something called the Child’s Right Act and I said it from the onset, that it is no more business as usual.

“These children must be considered, their future must be considered.

“So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IG of police.

”And I have filed for injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th, until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, find out the people marrying them.”