Husband of the girl, Bashiru Yaya
A 14-year old girl from Niger Republic has been rescued
after she was forcefully married to a Bureau de Change operator in Yaba area of
Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
The girl (name withheld) was forcefully married to 25-year
old Bashiru Yaya also from Niger Republic on 29 December, 2013 while the girl
was still in Senior Secondary I at Ansarudden Academy at Randle area of
Surulere.
She was married out to be the second wife of Yaya despite
the fact that she is a minor and had the ambition of becoming a medical
doctor. Under age marriage contravenes the Lagos State Child Rights
Law.
The girl’s parents, Mr Hamidu and Mrs Abibat Ahmed were said
to have taken the girl away from school while in SS I and married her out to
Yaya after he allegedly paid 300,000 Cefas, which is equivalent to N100,000 to
them. Officials of the Office of Youth and Social Development,
Lagos State Government, got
wind of it after the girl managed to smuggle a
written letter to the office narrating
how she was forced into marriage and her willingness to go back to
school.