Connect with us

Other News

Outcry In Bayelsa As 4-Year-Old Girl Weds 54-Year-Old Man

Published

on

In Bayelsa, the DO Foundation, a child rights advocacy group has strongly condemned a traditional marriage that took place on December 26.

The marriage involved a 4-year-old ‘bride’ and a 54-year-old man, identified as Elder Akpos in Akeddei community, Sagbama Local Government Area.

It was reported that the marriage occurred at the girl’s insistence.

A source, choosing to remain anonymous due to concerns about violating traditions, indicated that the girl’s parents asserted the 54-year-old man was her husband in her previous life.

Community sources also mentioned the girl’s claim that the man was her deceased husband from a mysterious past life.

The toddler recounted that she had been moving between different locations over the years, being born to different parents, in a quest to find her former husband from a past life.

The source said: “In order to avoid losing the girl to death, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two previous life lovers.”

The Foundation labeled the event as horrendous and despicable, emphasizing that it was illegal and a violation of both the constitution and the Child Rights Act.

Mr. Elvis Mannie, Bayelsa’s Chairperson of DO Foundation, signed the statement.

The civil society group highlighted that such actions could undermine the significant progress achieved by the Bayelsa government and its people in safeguarding child rights.

The DO Foundation stressed that Bayelsa domesticated the Child’s Right Law in 2016, which remains effective.

They emphasized that this law explicitly prohibits child marriages and engagements, imposing severe penalties such as imprisonment and substantial fines.

The foundation said ”This law criminalises child marriages and child betrothals prescribing various terms of imprisonment and heavy fines.”

The Foundation urged the Bayelsa government, the Gender Response Initiative Team, and all stakeholders involved in gender response to take immediate action in response to the situation.

They specifically called upon security agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation to safeguard the child from sexual exploitation.

Additionally, the group demanded the arrest and prosecution of anyone found responsible for this condemnable act.

The Foundation has initiated an investigation to rescue the child from this disturbing situation.

Click to comment

Other News

DStv, GOtv Subscribers To Experience Service Outages

Published

on

Subscribers of DSTV and GOtv in Nigeria have been notified of upcoming service disruptions from Sunday, May 5, to Tuesday, May 7, due to ongoing construction on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

DStv reassured its customers via social media that technical staff will be relocating a facility within the right-of-way to minimize service interruptions during this time.

The statement read, “Our uplink facility will be impacted by the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road construction project. As a result, we are forced to relocate.

“From Sunday, May 5, 2024 to Tuesday May 7, 2024, our technical team will be working tirelessly to relocate and minimise disruptions during the exercise.

“We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period and remain dedicated to delivering the quality service and support you expect from DStv and GOtv.”

 

Continue Reading

Other News

Court Slaps Linda Ikeji With N30m Damages To NBM

Published

on

A Delta State High Court in Effurun has ruled in favor of the Registered Trustees of the Neo-Black Movement of Africa, awarding them N30 million in damages in a libel case against popular Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji.

The lawsuit, with Ese Kakor, Felix Kupa, and Mayor Onyebueke as claimants, resulted in the court ordering Ikeji to pay N300,000 in litigation costs.

Presiding Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman delivered the verdict in Suit No: EHC/210/2021 on Monday.

Additionally, Ikeji was instructed to publish a retraction of the libellous statements on her blog and in national dailies.

Furthermore, Ikeji has been restrained from making further damaging publications against the claimants.

The Neo-Black Movement of Africa (NBM) took the legal action against Linda Ikeji after she allegedly failed to retract and apologize for a defamatory article published on her blog on October 19, 2021.

The article reportedly labeled the NBM of Africa as a dreaded cult group, black axe, and criminal organization, prompting the claimants to seek N1 billion in damages and an unreserved apology to be published on Ikeji’s blog and in two national newspapers.

Justice Daibo-Harriman, in her ruling, deemed the terms “dreaded cultist group,” “black axe,” and “criminal organization” used in the Defendant’s publication as defamatory.

Kelvin Agbroko, Counsel to the Claimants, emphasized that the ruling “Will serve as a lesson to bloggers that it is not every item you publish. It is good to verify information before making a publication.”

He said, “NBM of Africa is a legal organisation duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. The publication made by the Defendant against my client has been cleared that it was a damaging publication.

“NBM is good to go, we are going to take all necessary steps to enforce the terms of the judgment against her. It was an erudite judgement that is all-encompassing and will be difficult to fault.”

Ese Kakor, President of the NBM of Africa, revealed that the legal proceedings regarding the case had been ongoing for approximately two years.

Kakor expressed his dismay at Linda Ikeji’s actions, stating, “What Ikeji did was just to sell in a bid to defame the character of NBM of Africa. It is very wrong.”

He advised other bloggers against following similar steps, cautioning that they may also face litigation for defamation.

Kakor clarified that the NBM of Africa has no association with cultism, black axe, or criminal activities, emphasizing that it is a well-registered organization.

Continue Reading

Other News

Tragedy As VGC Chairman Found Dead In His Car

Published

on

In a shocking turn of events, Gihan Mbelu, the esteemed chairman of Victoria Garden City in Lagos’s bustling Lekki area, was found lifeless inside his vehicle.

 

His sudden demise has prompts police inquiry into the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.

The 42-year-old financial luminary and venture capitalist was found unconscious in his opulent C300 4Matic vehicle around 10:10 am on Friday, April 26, 2024.

According to report, Mbelu was swiftly transported to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where a doctor on duty confirmed his unfortunate demise.

Meanwhile, concerned individuals took it upon themselves to examine his vehicle, which had been running for hours at the spot where it was parked.

The post reads “Concerned by the discovery, some of the people in the area, upon close observation of the vehicle, found Mbelu in it.

“While some people speculated that the 42-year-old man might be sleeping, some other persons, who were bent on ascertaining Mbelu’s true state, reportedly made frantic efforts to wake him up but it proved abortive.

“In a bid to rescue Mbelu, it was learnt that he was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital where he was reportedly confirmed dead by one of the doctors on duty.

“Mbelu’s corpse was said to have been deposited in the hospital’s morgue. The case was also reported to the police for an investigation to commence to ascertain the circumstances surrounding Mbelu’s death.”

Prior to his demise, Mbelu was married to Eloho, a distinguished tech entrepreneur, former investment banker, and private equity investor. Together, they are parents to two daughters.

In response to the news, Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the state police command, affirmed the incident on Saturday, April 27, disclosing that an investigation has been launched into the matter.

 

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2022. Biztellers, powered by Alphaxristi.