The controversy surrounding the marriage of an Egyptian minor by former Governor of Zamfara State and now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima has taken a legal dimension with a suit filed by the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria against the National Human Right Commission [NHRC], the Senate President, David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Demeji Bankole.

In the suit filed by Sulieman Abdulkadir [SAN], the group is calling for the abolition of the Child’s Right Act 2003 and said Senator Yerima who is its pioneer member has the right under the Islamic laws to marry a minor as allowed by the Quran and tradition authorized by Prophet Mohammed.

While praying the court for an order for the enforcement of their rights to private and family life and right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the applicants want the court to stop the National Human Rights Commission and the National Assembly from taking steps, decisions and actions against Yerima with respect to the said marriage.

It is their contention that sections 37 of the 1999 constitution guarantees and protect every citizen [including members of the group], his family members among others against invasion, intrusion or interference by anybody, group of persons or institutions.

The group is asking for a declaration that Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees and protects every citizen’s right to practice, propagate and manifest the doctrine of his religion either individually or in community with others and privately or in public, without and hindrance by any person, group of persons or institutions.
Besides, they are pressing for a declaration that the act of the National Human Right Commission by writing a petition to the President of the Senate against the acts of marital relationship of Senator Ahmed Yerima Sani to an Egyptian lady, amounts to an infringement/invasion and contravention of the applicant and its members’ right to privacy and family together with their right to practice, propagate and manifest the doctrine of their religion as enshrined in section 37 and 38 of the 1999 constitution.

The group is also seeking a declaration that the NHRC placing reliance on section 21 Child’s Right Act 2003 for the basis of writing a petition to the leadership of the National Assembly is clearly in conflict with section 37 and 38 of the same constitution.

It informed the court that when it became aware of the Child’s Right Act bill sometimes in 2002, it wrote an advertorial in some of the National Newspapers highlighting its detrimental effect on Muslims and Islam and called on the National Assembly to suspend its passage.

It is the contention of the group that as a practicing Muslim, Yerima has for a very long time been striving hard to guide his entire life by the injunction of the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammed and therefore perform only what the Quran and the tradition of the Prophet authorizes as well as try his best to restrained himself from carrying out things that his religion forbids.

It is the submission of the group that section 21 or any other section of the Child’s Rights Act 2003 cannot extinguish the rights of Senator Yerima under the 1999 constitution as to do so will amount to the said Child Right being in consistent with the constitutional provisions of sections 37 and 38.
Speaking after the case was adjourned to June 17, 2010 for mention, Chairman of the group, Alhaji Muhammed Sulieman condemned the action of the respondents saying it contravenes the principles and tenets of Islamic religion.

The matter was adjourned to June 17 for mention.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/june/05/national-05-06-2010-010.htm

I hate this country. . . . uselessness.
My children will not grow up in a country where child ra/pe and child marriage is legal.

, the group is calling for the abolition of the Child's Right Act 2003

my God, this is outrageous unbelievable, what da. . .
speechless. . .
i mean what kind of court would listen to this bull crap
This country is finished. This man must nt go unpunished oh, lai lai .
Btw what in the name of all that is decent is the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, what the fck is that

I just wonder how the developed nations look at us, maybe they all insane in Nigeria.

And people wonder why I dislike the north.

your hatred of the north is deeper than sharia.

What is wrong with Islam? A religion that permits peadophilia.

God save Nigeria.

i don't think this is about yarima or islam. it is just about the pdp and their handling of the nigerian constitution.
our problem is that pdp has no respect for the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria and everyother person will like to ignore the law because pdp has made it to be useless.
nigeria has more than 20 million yarimas.
his fellow senators are patronising on daily basis our prostitutes and we all know how lucrative it has become to be a prositute in abuja.

chidichris:

i don't think this is about yarima or islam. it is just about the pdp and their handling of the nigerian constitution.
our problem is that pdp has no respect for the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria and everyother person will like to ignore the law because pdp has made it to be useless.
nigeria has more than 20 million yarimas.
his fellow senators are patronising on daily basis our love-peddlers and we all know how lucrative it has become to be a prositute in abuja.

Omo, 20 million gbozas for you.

Have you noticed that Islamic leaders have not come out to condemn this paedophile?rather they're prodding faceless people under the guise of sharia to speak for them,islam truly sucks