A family court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has remanded one Oyefeso Saheed, 35, who allegedly gave out his 12-year-old daughter in marriage to one 32-year-old Ismail Lawal.
The matter was reported at the Adewole police station by a member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Kwara State branch, Aishat Temeem, after receiving a call from the victim’s school principal.
Temeem had called the attention of the police who eventually got the father arrested and arraigned at the state family court, presided over by Magistrate Shade Lawal.
According to the charge sheet, an investigation conducted at the Anti Human Trafficking Women and Children Protection Unit revealed through a medical report that the hymen of the victim was no longer intact and there were bruises around her private part.
The purported husband who was also remanded repeatedly gave the victim an HP laptop as bride price for the unification of the “marriage”.
The accused were dragged to court under the Prohibition of Child Marriage and Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of the Kwara State Child Right Law which contravened sections 97, 275 of the Penal Code law.
The prosecutor, Akinjide Adisa, prayed the court to order the remand of the defendants on the basis that the offences are not ordinarily bailable.
The judge ordered the victim’s father and the purported husband to be remanded in a Correctional Facility till July 14th for further hearing.
