Government Cancels Underage Marriage, Arrests Parents, Bridegroom
Government Cancels Underage Marriage, Arrests Parents, Bridegroom
However, when the parties failed to honour the invitation, the ministry facilitated their arrest.
The Enugu State government has nullified an underage marriage involving a teenage girl, Amarachi, and an adult man in Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, after the incident surfaced on social media and sparked public outrage.
The Commissioner for Gender, Women and Children Affairs, Ngozi Eni, said the state intervened immediately to halt the “illegal and harmful union,” which officials confirmed had already been consummated.
She disclosed that the ministry had invited the families for questioning to understand why a child was given out in marriage despite the grave psychological, health, and legal implications, including risks of cervical cancer and other complications associated with early marriage.
However, when the parties failed to honour the invitation, the ministry facilitated their arrest.
According to a statement the ministry issued on Thursday, those taken into custody include Amarachi’s parents, the groom’s parents, the groom, and the matchmaker identified as Mrs. Patience, a native doctor who claimed ignorance of the criminality of child marriage.
The ministry claimed that during a private interaction with its officials, Amarachi revealed she had been forced into the marriage and had never attended school.
“The groom’s mother admitted she wanted a wife for her only son but offered no justification for selecting an underage girl.
“The ministry’s legal team briefed all parties on the Child Rights Law and penalties for child marriage, while officials educated them on gender-based violence and the medical risks associated with early marriage, including vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) and cervical cancer.”
The statement noted that authorities have handed the suspects over to security agencies for further investigation.
“Amarachi and a two-year-old child—whose mother has yet to be identified—are now in the care of the ministry’s Head of Child Unit,” the statement noted.
The Commissioner Eni reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring Amarachi receives proper education and rehabilitation.
She also expressed appreciation to Igbo-Eze North Local Government Chairman, Ogalla, the constituency’s House of Assembly member, and the Chairman of the Enugu State Civil Service Commission for their prompt intervention.
