Authorities in Bauchi State have apprehended a group of minors for allegedly conducting an illegal marriage ceremony involving a bride price of N3,000.
The suspects, including the purported bride and groom, were onĀ ThursdayĀ presented before the Bauchi State Action Committee on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, chaired by the wife of the governor, Aisha Bala Mohammed.
The arrests were carried out by operatives of the Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency in collaboration with the Bauchi State Police Command.
Also arrested were individuals said to have attended the ceremony, an alleged imam who conducted the marriage, and an underage girl accused of acting as the brideās mother.
Speaking of the incident, the commander of Hisbah in the state, Mohammed Mohammed Bununu, described the marriage arrangement as illegal, noting that the brideās father denied knowledge of the event.
He stated that the state would not condone such practices and urged parents and guardians to uphold moral and religious values.
In her remarks, Aisha Bala Mohammed blamed the development on poverty, parental negligence and declining moral standards in society.
She called on parents to pay closer attention to the upbringing of their children and ensure they are guided by proper religious and moral teachings.
The governorās wife also linked the trend to poor family planning and the abandonment of children at an early age.
Minors arrested in Bauchi over illegal marriage ceremony, N3,000 bride price
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