Bayelsa: Group Condemns Marriage Of 4-year-old Girl To Quinquagenarian

A Child rights advocacy group, DO Foundation has kicked against the traditional marriage rites between a 4-year-old bride and a quinquagenarian  in Bayelsa State. 

The ceremony took place on December 26, 2023, at Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state between the girl and a 54- year- old man. 

A competent source who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the marriage between the girl and the  man, identified as Elder Akpos, was with the consent of the girl’s parents.

He said that the parents of the girl claimed that the 54-year-old man was her husband in their previous life.

The source noted that the girl said that the man was her husband who died mysteriously in their previous life.

Narrating her ordeal, the girl stated  that over the years, she has been moving from place to place, to be given birth to by different parents, while searching for her former husband.

The source added: ”The little bride said if she was not allowed to marry her husband, she will 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 to death, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two previous life lovers.” 

But the Bayelsa Chairperson of DO Foundation, Mr Elvis Mannie, said on Thursday in Yenagoa, that the ceremony was against the constitution and the Child Rights Act.

He described the marriage as illegal  horrendous, despicable and a criminal activity.

The chairperson noted that the act is capable of retarding the giant strides made by the government and people of Bayelsa in the area of protection of child rights.

He informed that the Child’s Right Law was domesticated in the state in 2016 and is still in force in Bayelsa.

”This law criminalises child marriages and child betrothals by prescribing various terms of imprisonment and heavy fines,” he said. 

Mannie begged the Bayelsa government, Gender Response Initiative Team and all stakeholders in the gender response system to immediately swing into action to respond appropriately.

He enjoined the security agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the incident, with a view to protect the child from sexual exploitation.

The foundation demanded the arrest and prosecution of all persons found culpable in the despicable act.

Already, the foundation has commenced an investigation into the saga, targeted at saving the child from the obnoxious situation.