Court Stops Islamic Cleric From Marrying 16-Year-Old As 9th Wife In Ondo

A family in Ondo State has been arraigned before a court for forcefully marrying out their teenage daughter to a man reportedly married with eight wives.

Naija News learnt that the 16-year-old girl flees from her parent’s plot and headed to Akure, the capital city of the state where she was rescued by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

According to the report, the ministry intervened on the matter and immediately began legal works to halt the plan of the parent who consented to marry out the teenage girl to one Alhaji Yusuf Lateef.

If the parent had successfully married out the girl who is said to be a secondary school student to the cleric, she would have emerged his 9th wife, Naija News understands.

However, a court sitting in Akure on Friday, May 22 has stopped the proposed wedding.

It was reported that the cleric had in 2019 while the child was still 15, asked for her hand in marriage from the parent who resides in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area in Ondo State.

Though the young girl had turned down the offer, the parent push forward and fixed a day to give her out to Alhaji Lateef with the support of her older brother.

However, the court sitting which was presided by Justice Aderemi Adegoroye described the act as a breach to part three of the 2007 Ondo State Child Rights Law.

Justice Aderemi in his ruling ordered that the young girl returned to her parent and charged the cleric to distance himself from her. He, however, urge the parent to give proper care and education to the 16-year-old and also demand that Lateef sign an undertaking to be far from her reach and ensure no harm comes her way.

Reacting to the court ruling, Mrs Titilola Adeyemi, the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development commended the court’s ruling, noting that it’s a victory for children in Ondo State.