Govt withdraws charges against child bride

KANO—The Kano State government has dropped murder charges against  a 14-year-old girl, who reportedly killed her husband.

The child bride, Wasila Tasiu allegedly thumb-printed a confessional statement while in police custody that she killed her husband, Umar Sani through application of rat poison in his local delicacy.

Tasiu was said to to have taken the action after she was forced to marry the deceased against her wish.

However, a government lawyer,  Abba Lamido Sorondinki made an oral application before the Gezewa High Court, Kano, where Tasiu had been standing trial in the last 20 months that the accused person be set free as the state was no longer interested in prosecuting her.

“I am declaring the government position of dropping the charges against her and she should be set free,” Sorondinki said.

But the presiding judge, Justice Muhammad Yahaya ordered the prosecution counsel to follow due process, pointing out that “the law is explicit on procedure of dropping charges and this is through written and not oral application.’’

In his reaction,  the defence Counsel, Hussaina Aliyu doubted government sincerity, adding that, “we expect government to enter nolle prosequi and this has been our position that the girl should be discharged and acquitted.”

Aliyu further said that “government’s current position is nothing but a trap as the incoming administration may decide to re-open the case against my client,’’ adding, ‘’we demand for total freedom for my client and we will continue to press for what is right until justice is done.”

 

Govt withdraws charges against child bride

Nigeria’ll have highest child brides by 2050 – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund has announced that Nigeria will have the highest number of child brides by year 2050 in its latest report.

Worldwide, more than 700 million women alive today were married before their 18th birthday.

According to the UNICEF in the report released in August, more than half of adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 who are currently married have husbands that are 10 years older than they are.

The report said in part, “Furthermore, girls are often married to considerably older men. In Mauritania and Nigeria, more than half of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19, who are currently married, have husbands who are 10 or more years older than they are.

“In Africa, Nigeria is expected to have the largest absolute number of child brides. The country has seen a decline in child marriage of about one per cent per year over the past three decades. At this pace, the total number of child brides is expected to double by 2050.”

The UN’s children agency added that sub-Saharan Africa would have the largest number and global share of child brides in the next 36 years.

“In contrast to global trends, some countries have experienced stagnation or even increasing levels of child marriage. In Burkina Faso, prevalence has remained constant at around 50 per cent for the past three decades.

“If this persists, the number of child brides will increase substantially in the coming years as the population expands. Sub-Saharan Africa will have the largest number and global share of child brides by 2050,” it said.

Among the 700 million women alive today married before their 18th birthday. More than one in three (about 250 million) entered into union before age 15. Boys are also married as children, but girls are disproportionately affected.

In Niger, for instance, 77 per cent of women aged between 20 and 49 were married before age 18, in contrast to five per cent of men in the same age group. Even in countries where child marriage is less common, the same gender differences are found.

According to the report, child marriage is a manifestation of gender inequality, reflecting social norms that perpetuate discrimination against girls.

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Nigeria’ll have highest child brides by 2050 – UNICEF

Child Marriage: 14 Year Old Child Bride Poisons Her Groom And His Friends In Kano State

In  Ungwar Yansoro village of Gaya local government area of Kano state,  a fourteen-year-old bride, Wasila Umaru, allegedly poisoned her 35-year- old groom, Umaru Sani and three others.

The young girl allegedly carried this out using rat poison known locally as Shinkafa Bera which she bought at a village market for N80. She applied it in the food which she served her husband and his friends.

Two of the victims- Nasiru Mohammed and Alhassan Alhassan of Yansoro Kademi- died on the spot. The third victim, a woman, Indo Ibrahim, died in the hospital.

Ten other people ,who also ate the food, have been discharged from the hospital.

Afterwards, the girl confessed that she was responsible for the crime because she was forced to marry the man who she didn’t love.

Police spokesman Musa Magaji Majiya said the bodies had been taken to the hospital for autopsy

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Child Marriage: 14 Year Old Child Bride Poisons Her Groom And His Friends In Kano State