Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, petitions Inspector General of Police, and sough’s a court injunction to stop the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and sought a court injunction to stop the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls.

The Speaker recently announced plans to marry off the orphaned girls, who lost their parents due to banditry attacks in the Mariga local government area as part of his constituency project on May 24.

He announced that the gesture was aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished, pledging to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and procuring materials for the mass marriage.

Kennedy-Ohanenye, while briefing newsmen in Abuja described the plans as unacceptable emphasizing that a full-scale investigation has commenced on the issue.

The minister, while emphasising the need to ensure girl-child education and empowerment, stressed the need to as the speaker did not think about empowering these women or sending them to school or giving them some kind of training support financially.

The minister further emphasised within the Child Rights Act, every child belongs to the state, hence the rights of every child will be protected from harm, violence or anything that will infringe on their rights.