UPDATE: Nigerian Begins Petition Against Niger Nonagenarian Man Who Married Teen In Niger

Eniola Olayemi

A Nigerian Jacobu Eleyinbo has begun a petition to the United Nations against child marriage and girl child rape in Northern Nigeria.

Mr Eleyinbo started his petition after a 70-year-old Yakubu Chanji took a 15-year-old girl as wife on Tuesday in Niger state.

The wedding is said to have taken place on Monday with family and friends in attendance.

Mr Chanji also known as Nafsi-Nafsi in Minna city earned the sobriquet chanji for his frequent divorces and replacement of wives.

“There is a growing menace in the northern region of Nigeria which have Islam as their main religion- pedophiles are taking advantage of the Islamic system to abuse young girls and take child brides whom they have no plans for in future but to abuse them sexually,” Eleyinbo wrote.

He is advocating for the states in Northern region and other parts of Nigeria to set a minimum age not below the age of 18 for marriage and set rules and regulations for such.

“This will help to incorporate the rights of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights into the national law,” Eleyinbo added.