The Enugu State Government, through the Ministry for Gender, Women and Children Affairs, has ordered the arrest of the groom, his parents, the teenage bride’s parents, and a matchmaker over the illegal marriage of a 13-year-old girl named Amarachi.
Dawn Herald gathered that the arrests, which took place in the Amufie community of Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, followed the refusal of the parties involved to honour an official invitation from the state ministry after videos of the underage wedding went viral on social media.
The state government launched the raid to enforce the Child Rights Act of Nigeria, which criminalizes any marriage involving minors, and to rescue the vulnerable girl.
The bride, identified as Amarachi, is confirmed to be 13 years old and has never been to school. She is now under state protective custody along with a two-year-old baby found during the operation, whose mother is yet to be identified.
Those in custody include the groom, his parents, the bride’s parents, and a native doctor/matchmaker, Mrs. Patience.
The groom’s mother reportedly justified the action by stating that the bride was married to her only son, but had no legal defense when confronted with the illegality of the act.
The ministry’s legal team then briefed the detained suspects on the severe penalties under the Child Rights Law, as well as the health risks associated with early marriage, such as Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) and cervical cancer.
The Commissioner for Gender, Women and Children Affairs, Hon. Ngozi Eni, stated that the state was compelled to act because the marriage involved a minor who lacked the consent and capacity to understand its implications. Speaking on the arrest, she stressed;
We invited them to the ministry to explain why a child was given out in marriage, but they refused to come. Their refusal suggested complicity, so we initiated their arrest. All suspects had been handed over to security agencies for further investigation, while Amarachi and a two-year-old baby found during the operation, whose mother is yet to be determined, were taken into protective custody
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