By Nathan Nwakamma
A 54-year-old man in Akeddei community, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa has married a 4-year-old girl in a glamorous ceremony organised by the community on December 26.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered Thursday that the marriage between the four-year-old ‘bride’ and the 54-year-old man simply identified as Elder Akpos, was at the instance of the girl’s parents.
According to a source who did not wish to be named, the parents of the girl claimed that the 54-year-old man was the toddler’s husband in their previous life.
According to other sources in the community, the girl also claimed that the man was her husband who died mysteriously in their previous life.
The toddler narrated that she has been moving from place to place for many years to be given birth to by different parents while searching for her missing husband.
“The little bride said if she was not allowed to marry the man, she would have no other business in Akeddei community, and that she was going to die peacefully and go her way.
“In order to avoid losing the girl, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two ‘previous life lovers’,” a source added.
However, some members of the community were not comfortable with the explanation by the girl’s family, saying it was just to evade penalty for desecrating tradition.
NAN reports that a child rights advocacy group, DO Foundation, has already kicked against the marriage, describing it as illegal, criminal, horrendous and despicable.
A statement by Mr Elvis Mannie, the Chairperson of the group, said that the marriage was against the Constitution and the Child Rights Act, which has been domesticated in the state in 2016.
”This law criminalises child marriages and child betrothals, prescribing various terms of imprisonment and heavy fines,” the foundation noted.
It called on Bayelsa State Government, the Gender Response Initiative Team and all stakeholders in the gender response system to take appropriate action to stop the marriage.
The foundation also urged security agencies to launch a thorough investigation with a view to protecting the child from sexual exploitation.
The group also demanded the arrest and prosecution of all persons found culpable in contracting the marriage.
The foundation also said it has commenced investigation aimed at saving the child from the obnoxious situation.
