Years afta tori say e marry 13-year-old Egyptian, ex-Zamfara state Govnor Yerima tok about di mata

“Marriage no fit stop education!” Na so di former Govnor of Zamfara state for north west Nigeria, Senator Ahmad Yerima tok on Friday as im defend im marriage to one 14-year-old Egyptian girl years ago.

News of di senator marriage to di 14 years old foreigner for 2010, make headlines and shock pipo den.

Di mata make pipo para sotay Nigeria Senate even probe am dat time, even though im still bin dey serve as senator.

More dan 10 years later, Oga Yerima announce to di world for national TV, Channels Television Politics Today, say im Egyptian wife don grow now and she dey do her master degree programme.

For di interview, Yerima criticise di United Nations Child Rights Act (2003) and di Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015), wey Nigeria be signatory too.

E say although di former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo, bin try to “smuggle di Child Right Act, im pass am for National Assembly through some manipulations,” but no state assembly for north domesticate am.

“And once dem no do dat, e no longer be law,” im add.

'Marriage no fit stop education'

Di former govnor say marriage no fit stop education.

E add say right now, im Egyptian wife dey do her masters degree.

Im further add say even im daughter wey im give out for marriage at di age of 16 years dey do her Ph.D for London.

Yerima say im no see anytin wrong wit early marriage and di only time wey pesin dey break di right of small girls sake of marriage na “if you no allow dem continue wit dia education. But marriage no dey stop pipo from getting education.”

According to am, im no break any law by marrying underage pikin, and as long as im no break di law, im no send wetin pipo tok.

“Anytin you suppose to do for marriage dey very clear under di Sharia Law. You must to provide house for di girl if you dey marry her, like, from di condition di Egyptian goment law provide,” im say.

For April 2010 Senator Yerima turn major headline news for world as tori blow say im bin marry 13 years old pikin.

Di Senator wey bin dey 49 years at di time say im number four wife no be 13years, but im no go tok how many years she be at di time.

From BBC investigate at di time, tok tok pesin for Egypt embassy for di Nigeria say di girl bin still dey school for her home kontri.

Di tori of im marriage to im 13 years old wife dat time no be di first time. For 2006, tori pipo also report say im allegedly marry one 15 years old girl.

Underage marriage for Nigeria law

Nigeria law dey complicated wen e come to di issue of child marriage.

Di kontri get four different legal systems – English law, Common Law, Customary Law and Sharia Law.

Di English Law na di law wey guide di kontri during colonial time under di Queen of England.

Di kontri draw im Common Law afta im independence from di colonial masters.

Customary Law come from di different traditional and cultural practices of di different ethnic groups for di kontri.

Di Sharia Law or Islamic Law like im name suggest na from di Islam religion.

All of dis legal systems get dia power from di Nigeria Constitution wey be di Supreme binding force for every authority for di kontri.

Di question therefor na, wetin di Nigeria Constitution tok about child marriage?

Which of di law di Senator say im no break?

Senator Ahmad Yerima as Zamfara govnor sign law to make im state Sharia state. Meaning say Zamfara dey practice Sharia Law.

Muslims dey follow di practice of Prophet Mohammed wey marry Aishah wen she be dey six years, consummate di marriage wen she turn nine years.

By dis practice, Yerima no feel say im break any law.

For di Nigeria Constitution though, di mata no straight. Di Federal Child Rights Act (2003), say na taboo to marry below di age of 18 years.

While Nigeria goment na signatory of dis UN Act and dem ratify am for dia federal law, according to Nigeria law, for any international act to dey binding on im pipo, di National Assembly go ratify am, den di 36 State Assembly go domesticate am for dia state.

So far, na five states remain to domesticate di Child Rights Law – Zamfara, Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Adamawa state.

Still, di constitution contradict imsef for im definition of wetin e mean for Nigeria to be adult or full age.

Nigeria Constitution 1999 as amended, Section 29(4a) say to turn full age mean say di citizen don reach 18 years or above.

But for di very next line, Section 29(4b) say any woman wey don marry dem go consider her as full age or as adult.

Dis one mean say, as long as nine year old pikin don marry husband, di constitution recognise her status as automatic adult.

Considering say di Child Right Act like every oda law draw im power from di Nigeria Constitution, e really no mata weda or not all 36 states ratify and domesticate di law, e go hard to really fault anyone ontop dis mata at Supreme Court level.