Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, under fire over marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl, justified his actions yesterday by saying he was following in the footsteps of Islam's Prophet Mohammed. "I am only following Prophet Mohammed's footsteps who married a nine-year-old girl, Aishatu," Yerima told journalists shortly after his opposition ANPP party paid a visit to President Goodluck Jonathan. Yerima, 49, who was governor of northwestern state of Zamfara when it became the first of 12 Muslim-dominated northern states to introduce Sharia law in 2000, spurned Nigeria's Child Rights Act of 2003 which forbids marriage with anyone under 18. "I do not work with such law that runs counter to my religion. For clarity, I do not have to obey the Child Rights Act so long as it contravenes my religious belief and I’m sick and tired of repeating myself all the time. I hope I can be left alone now.’’ The Nigerian Senate has ordered a probe after the national rights watchdog and 10 other groups accused him of shaming the country. Media reports have alleged Yerima paid a 100,000-dollar dowry and married the girl at the National Mosque in the capital Abuja.

There are reports indicating that the petition may die a quiet death at the hands of the committee. The ethics panel, headed by Umar Hambagda (ANPP Borno State), has received four public petitions in the last 12 months, but has not submitted a report on any of them. Last week Yerima emphasised that he had done nothing wrong. In an interview with the BBC, he said his fourth wife was not 13, but would not say how old she was. He denied breaking the law but said he would not respect any law that contradicted his religious beliefs. A spokesman for the Egyptian embassy in Nigeria had said the girl is still at school in Egypt. ‘’As a Muslim, as I always say, I consider God's law and that of his prophet above any other law. I consider all those complaining about this issue as detractors, because since 1999, many people have been waging different kind of wars against me. I don't care about the issue of age since I have not violated any rule as far as Islam is concerned. History tells us that Prophet Muhammad did marry a young girl as well. Therefore I have not contravened any law. Even if she is 13, as it is being falsely peddled around. If I state the age, they will still use it to smear Islam," he said.
An officials of the Egyptian embassy in Abuja Mohammed Saber yesterday said the mission "will follow the issue" because it is illegal in Egypt to marry an underage girl.

Newspaper reports have also accused the senator of having previously married a 15-year-old girl in 2006.


Culled from Nigeria Today Online.[i][/i]

Dont mind the Pedophile. He is using Mohammed of 3 million years ago as an excuse in the 21st century.

the idiot is a lunatic

Sani has broken the law, since the marriage age has been raised from 13 to 18 (females), since The Child Right Act was passed in 2003. Unfortunately our FG haven't fully integrated it into all the states yet. So, technically, he hasn't broken it yet.

Oddly enough, the males has always been 18 & the age of consent is still 13.

Believe me what ever noise is been made, it will die a quiet death. This is Nigeria where anything goes even perverts using religion.

meggieblac:

Believe me what ever noise is been made, it will die a quiet death. This is Nigeria where anything goes even perverts using religion.

This is Nigeria? there needs to be a change in our attitude!

I keep hearing new things abt islam!

I keep hearing new things abt islam!

I keep hearing new things abt islam!

I keep hearing new things abt islam!

SHAME ON YOU Ahmed sani Yerima. It means that you can marry your own daughter, you yab!!!!!

Make una leave the man now, Haba mana!

Yerima's brother. Who is holding him?

Dolemite:

This is Nigeria? there needs to be a change in our attitude!

my dear i'm also sick of the situation of things. But talking about a change in our attitude, will u tell that to a pervert who is using his religion to do something despicable? i'm just stating what the end result will be because the country's pretty fkd up.

Dis guy thinks he is doing a favour for dis girl but he is not does he know she can die from bleeding she is just 13 the parents are greddy becuz of money

oooooooooooooooooooooo church.

he is am imam o an dhe nids a virgin lol

wow senator wants to prove himself so also maybe he is an imam

Dharniel:

wow senator wants to prove himself so also maybe he is an imam

"I do not work with such law that runs counter to my religion. For clarity, I do not have to obey the Child Rights Act so long as it contravenes my religious belief". And he is a senator of the FRN.

Only God go save this pple. Remember the one who married 99wives? All in the name of IsLam.

Luciandos: "I do not work with such law that runs counter to my religion. For clarity, I do not have to obey the Child Rights Act so long as it contravenes my religious belief". [b]And he is a senator of the FRN.[\b]

SMH

Oh yess.. As the man said, his Prophet Mohammed married a young gurl too.. I don't think this should be a problem that we bother Christians or we Igbo. Aftroll D Hausas have been doing all dis Early begoten marriage eva since the pope was an alter boy..
Let the minister come to any Igbo land with that 100,000 Us dollars lemme weather d gurl's mum won't pour him acid..

Thatz muslim for you, so mek una free dis man..
Shekina!!

Lwkmdh ooo..
@Emirate02 so u even hear dat one bro... Don't mind these pipo oo,, dem and der religion awkward die... Iv him like he kan mari 9monthz old baby, na dem sabi oo... Mek una free d man abeg...

Stil Laughing at dis ya comment.. 99 wives tEennzz?

@ this junction, I can only but say he is a paedophile...because he is not the only Muslim out there, I believe the senator needs psychiatric evaluation. Howbiet religion is the opium of the masses. @ this junction, I can only but say he is a paedophile...because he is not the only Muslim out there, I believe the senator needs psychiatric evaluation. Howbiet religion is the opium of the masses. @ this junction, I can only but say he is a paedophile...because he is not the only Muslim out there, I believe the senator needs psychiatric evaluation. Howbiet religion is the opium of the masses.

@Chelsea No let LKUD4D!!! Dos guys ar animals n bliv mi evn a 6mths old baby dem de Finger am wen d baby motther no de der. Tell me by d time dat gurl giv birth n com out aliv wetin d pikin weh b bio go de do him sister? They wud tell u again dat Islam pamits it. GUSH!!!!

What more can one gain from these happenings but the plot to islamize Nigeria?

Why should a federal law maker enact a law based on his singular religious belief in a multi-religious nation?

Have they been able to consider the health implications of this law to the minors?

Are the opinions of the public no longer sought before bills are passed?

The hilarious part of the matter is in the fact that yerima et al have been promised virgins in heaven yet they wish to rid earth of defenceless minors, this is where I suspect greed and animalistic urge.

Justi..... Waat?

it's not their fault. Nigerians who sit and watch these p[size=1pt].[/size]edophiles ruling our country are to blame. Nigerians should go and occupy the senate house and refuse to leave until that underage marriage clause is removed from the constitution.

[quote author=Mescana Chelsea]Oh yess.. As the man said, his Prophet Mohammed married a young gurl too.. I don't think this should be a problem that we bother Christians or we Igbo. Aftroll D Hausas have been doing all dis Early begoten marriage eva since the pope was an alter boy..
Let the minister come to any Igbo land with that 100,000 Us dollars lemme weather d gurl's mum won't pour him acid..

Thatz muslim for you, so mek una free dis man..
Shekina!![/quote

the same igbo land, where we have baby factories
we're even lucky this thing is an islam and not igbo tradition....we for dey talk another thing