Outrage as 4-Year-Old Girl Weds 54-Year-Old Man in Bayelsa

The DO Foundation, a child rights advocacy group based in Bayelsa, has strongly condemned the traditional marriage ceremony held on December 26 in Akeddei community. The event witnessed the union of a 4-year-old girl and a 54-year-old man, identified as Elder Akpos.

In an official statement released in Yenagoa, Mr. Elvis Mannie, Bayelsa Chairperson of DO Foundation, characterized the marriage as “horrendous, despicable, and a criminal activity.” The group emphasized that such unions violate the constitution and the Child Rights Act.

Bayelsa State, having domesticated the Child’s Right Law in 2016, expressly prohibits child marriages and betrothals, imposing severe penalties, including imprisonment and heavy fines.

The DO Foundation has called upon the Bayelsa government, the Gender Response Initiative Team, and other stakeholders in the gender response system to take immediate action in response to this alarming incident. The group urged security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to safeguard the child from potential sexual exploitation.

In a bid to address the situation, the foundation has initiated its own investigation with the goal of rescuing the child from this distressing circumstance.

The controversial marriage reportedly occurred at the insistence of the 4-year-old ‘bride,’ who claimed that the 54-year-old man was her husband in a previous life. The parents asserted that the man was her spouse who had mysteriously died in their past life.

Community sources revealed that, according to the toddler’s account, she had been born to different parents in her quest to reunite with her former husband from the previous life. The community, fearing for the child’s life, organized an elaborate wedding ceremony to formalize the union of the two supposed past-life lovers.

The DO Foundation is now demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of all individuals implicated in this disturbing act, emphasizing the need to uphold the rights and protection of children in Bayelsa.