Child Marriage: Bayelsa Govt Summons Four-year-old Girl’s Parents, ‘Husband’, Others

Bayelsa State government has invited the parents of a four-year-old girl as well as the 54-year-old man involved in a purported marriage in Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

The state government through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Social Development and the State Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT), frowned on the development.

It also expressed concern over the illegal marriage based on tradition and customs, saying it was repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience.

The ministry and the GRIT acknowledged the receipt of a formal complaint from a child rights advocacy group, DO Foundation, on the controversial marriage. 

The Director in charge of Child Development in the ministry, Panebi Jacob, the chairman of GRIT, Dr. Dise Ogbise-Goddy Harry, and the state human rights commission, said in a statement on Saturday, December 30, that the traditional ruler of Akeddei community honoured the government’s invitation and promised to produce the child, her parents, the 54-year-old man as well as the youth leader and the chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC). 

The statement noted that the state government does not support child marriage under any guise.

The statement said: “That is why the state government did not hesitate to assent to the passage of the  Bayelsa State Child Rights Law.

“We are taking steps to rescue the child from all the key actors to this illegal ceremony that they tagged a ‘mere spiritual affair.’

“The law is clear on issues of tradition and customs that are repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience, and working with the Bayelsa State police command, we shall ensure incidents like this do not occur in the state again.

“On behalf of the Governor of Bayelsa State, we express our gratitude to all the non-governmental organisations including FIDA and DO Foundation that have risen to the rescue of this innocent child. Bayelsa State is children-friendly and this case will be pursued to its logical conclusion.”

Recall that on December 27, 2023, one 54-year-old Akpos allegedly consummated a marriage with a four-year-old girl reportedly with parents’ consent at Akeddei community in Sagbama LGA. 

It was gathered that in the culture of the Akeddei people, it is unacceptable for a minor to be given out in marriage under any circumstances. 

However, it was further learnt that the event that took place on that day was a matter that had to do with reincarnation as it is believed that in some Ijaw culture there is reincarnation and life after death. 

A concerned indigene of Akeddei town claimed that the said minor and Akpos were allegedly betrothed to each other in their first life and on a certain day close to their marriage she went out and returned home only to find out that her lover was dead and out of the love she had for him she also committed suicide to join him.

The minor was said to have been previously born into three different communities in search of him but since she could not find her lover, she ended up dying prematurely through sickness and other mysterious ways before being born in Akeddei town for the fourth time.

The community source claimed that the minor usually falls sick to the point of death within her four years, until a certain day when the man was passing by and she then saw him and allegedly ran to meet him.

The source said that she then saw the mark that they both shared as a sign of their love, noting that since that day once she falls sick and she is brought to him, she effortlessly becomes sound and strong. 

The source said that if the marriage rite is not observed as agreed in their first life, the man himself will not be able to marry and he will not achieve any success in life. Evidently, according to the source, the 54-year-old man has not been able to marry throughout his life.

The source said that to break the bond and rescue the little girl’s life, the symbolic marriage was conducted on that day by both families, stressing, however, that it was not a formal marriage that meant they were going to live together as husband and wife.