MURIC to Sue Nigerian Minister Over Halted Marriage Plan in Niger State

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has announced plans to sue Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, over her legal efforts to halt the proposed marriage of 100 orphan girls in Niger State. The marriage initiative, led by Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, aims to marry off orphaned girls who lost their parents to bandit attacks.

Speaker Sarkindaji proposed the mass marriage as a means to alleviate poverty, committing to cover the dowries and necessary wedding materials. However, Minister Kennedy-Ohanenye filed an ex parte motion against the plan, citing it as “unacceptable” and initiating a full investigation.

Kennedy-Ohanenye has engaged with religious leaders in Niger State to seek a resolution and has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police. She clarified that the suit could be withdrawn in a week when the injunction expires.

In response, MURIC, led by Professor Ishaq Akintola, criticized the minister’s actions as overzealous and discriminatory. Akintola argued that mass weddings are a customary practice in Northern Nigeria, previously conducted without federal interference. He accused the minister of ignoring the challenges faced by Muslim girls in the South while obstructing efforts to aid Northern girls.

MURIC emphasized the cultural and religious significance of the proposed marriage, noting the orphaned girls’ precarious situation and the tradition of mass weddings in the region. Akintola highlighted previous mass weddings sanctioned by state governments and questioned why this initiative was being singled out.

The organization expressed concerns over perceived selective justice and accused the Ministry of Women Affairs of bias against Muslim practices. MURIC called for the continuation of the marriage plan and urged the Niger State government to sponsor the remaining orphaned girls.