The Anambra State Government has arrested one Uzochukwu Okoli for giving out his underage daughter’s hand in marriage.
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Okoli was apprehended after his daughter reported to the state Ministry of Women and Social Welfare about the ill-treatment being meted out to her by her father and the man he forced her to marry.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Chidimma Ikeanyionwu, the media aide to the state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, on Thursday.
Ikeanyionwu said the girl, who is currently 16 years old, told the ministry that after the death of their mother, her father brought her back from Edo State, where they were going to school to take a husband.
The statement read, “She alleged that she was first forced to live with a 70-year-old man at the age of 14, but after some time, she ran back to her father’s house before he finally gave her out to a 34-year-old Chinedu N. as husband.
“The girl, who also came with her elder sister, explained that life with the said husband had been a ‘living hell’ because he beat her and sometimes after beating her, peed in her mouth and that made her run away with her nine-month-old baby.
“Her father, Uzochukwu Okoli, on the other hand, claimed her daughter is 18 years old and, at some point, said 20 years.
“Okoli, when he was handcuffed, threatened to deal with the daughters if he made it out of prison. He also urged them to pray he dies in prison because he will make life more miserable for them.”
Reacting to the development, Obinabo instructed that the case be charged to court so that the children could get justice.
She used the medium to urge parents to be mindful of their children and direct them properly instead of pushing them to early marriage, which will destroy their lives.
Our correspondent learnt that both Okoli and Chinedu were arrested and will be arraigned in court.
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