Minister Petitions IGP, Asks Court To Stop Niger Speaker From Marrying 100 Girls

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), over the plan by the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji to marry off 100 orphaned girls.

The Minister also sought a court injunction to stop the Speaker from marrying the 100 orphaned girls.

Sarkindaji had 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.

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He announced that the gesture was “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished”, pledging to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and procuring materials for the mass marriage.

However, Kennedy-Ohanenye, while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, described the plans as “unacceptable” emphasising that a full-scale investigation has commenced on the issue.

“I want to let the honourable speaker of the house in Niger State 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 Rights 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 the Police.

”And I have filed for an 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,” she said