Desist from marrying off underage girls – judge

Angered by reports of parents arranging and giving off the hands of their underage girls in marriage, a Magistrate at the Manponteng District court has warned parents, who want to tread the same path to desist from the “stupid” act.

The judge’s outburst follows a case in which a-63-year-old man in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region was arrested over the weekend for forcing his 13-year-old daughter into marriage.

The man, Alhassan Iddi, has since been remanded into prison custody. Police in the Ashanti region over the weekend rescued the girl, who was in the process of being married off against her wishes, to a man said to be a resident of Libya.

A Muslim ceremony was underway at Kenyase-Abirem in the Kwabre District of Ashanti, when police from Tafo arrived, upon a tip–off, to stop proceedings and arrested the girl’s father.

Though it is against the laws of the land, it was acceptable under the Islamic religion to give a girl’s hand in marriage at such a tender age.

Alhassan Iddi appeared at Manponteng District court today, where Luv News’ Erastus Asare Donkor reports that his attempt to explain the issues infuriated the presiding judge, Michael Gyamfi Boamah.

“This kind of stupid thing if not stopped, will cause a whole lot of problems for us”, the judge fumed.

The accused person was therefore remanded into prison custody to reappear on November 6.

Alhassan Iddi’s family members, including the-13-year-old, broke down in tears when the judge remanded the accused person.