Bauchi State government has arrested several minors over an alleged illegal marriage ceremony reportedly conducted with a bride price of N3,000.
The suspects, including the purported bride and groom, were on Thursday paraded before the Bauchi State Action Committee on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence chaired by the wife of the governor, Aisha Bala Mohammed.
The arrest was carried out by operatives of the Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency in collaboration with the state police command.
Also apprehended were individuals said to have attended the ceremony, an alleged imam accused of officiating the marriage and an underage girl reportedly presented as the bride’s mother.
Speaking on the development, the Commander of Hisbah in the state, Mohammed Mohammed Bununu, described the arrangement as unlawful, noting that the bride’s father reportedly denied knowledge of the ceremony.
Bununu said the state government would not tolerate such practices, urging parents and guardians to uphold proper moral and religious values in raising their children.
He stressed the need for families to closely monitor minors to prevent acts capable of exposing them to abuse and other social dangers.
In her remarks, Aisha Bala Mohammed attributed the incident to poverty, parental negligence and declining moral values within society.
The governor’s wife called on parents to pay greater attention to the upbringing of their children, adding that proper religious and moral guidance remained essential in shaping responsible behaviour.
She also linked the increasing trend of such incidents to poor family planning and the abandonment of children at a young age.