The “marriage” between a four-year-old ‘bride’ and a 54-year-old man in a Bayelsa community is a traditional rite to save the child’s life, according to her parents.

They claimed that the marriage, conducted in Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa, was a spiritual rite to ‘untie’ the duo who were betrothed in their “previous lives”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the girl’s parents, the 54-year-old man, a traditional ruler and others, who participated in the marriage, were summoned by Bayelsa Government following a public outcry.

Parents of the ‘bride’ and three others on Thursday appeared before the state government’s Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) to explain their roles in the child marriage.
The government’s team comprised the Chairman of GRIT, Dr Dise Ogbise-Goddy, and the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, Kizito Andah.

Others are the Chairman of Bayelsa Non-Governmental Forum, Mr Taritei Boco, and representatives of the DO Foundation, National Human Rights Commission and Civil Society Groups.

The team heard submissions from the father of the toddler, Mr Morris Aboma, the “groom”, Mr Akpos Napoleon, and the Paramount ruler, Chief Moneyman Binabo.

In their separate submissions before the government team, they all insisted that the purported child marriage was a traditional practice termed “Koripamo” aimed to save the little girl’s life.


VDO.AI

PlayUnmute
Fullscreen
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the girl’s parents, the 54-year-old man, a traditional ruler and others, who participated in the marriage, were summoned by Bayelsa Government following a public outcry.

Parents of the ‘bride’ and three others on Thursday appeared before the state government’s Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) to explain their roles in the child marriage.

THE BEARING: Why You Need To Be More Than A First Class Graduate In Nigeria
Ibadan: Inside the exciting I00-year-old Hausa community
The government’s team comprised the Chairman of GRIT, Dr Dise Ogbise-Goddy, and the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, Kizito Andah.

Others are the Chairman of Bayelsa Non-Governmental Forum, Mr Taritei Boco, and representatives of the DO Foundation, National Human Rights Commission and Civil Society Groups.

The team heard submissions from the father of the toddler, Mr Morris Aboma, the “groom”, Mr Akpos Napoleon, and the Paramount ruler, Chief Moneyman Binabo.

In their separate submissions before the government team, they all insisted that the purported child marriage was a traditional practice termed “Koripamo” aimed to save the little girl’s life.


They explained that it was a cultural practice in Akeddei community, Oyakiri clan, that if a girl child always fell sick, a man would be required to drop a symbolic amount as a token to save the little girl from dying.

The community representatives said that what transpired between the little girl and Napoleon was not a marriage but an Ijaw cultural practice called ” Koripamo”.

They further explained that whenever the traditional rite of “Koripamo” was conducted, the man who paid the token was not required to take the girl as a wife.

“The traditional rite will also not stop the girl from marrying any man of her choice when she grows up to the age of marriage.”

According to the Ijaw tradition, this rite can be done on a boy child or girl child

Father of the child, Aboma, who spoke in Ijaw language, said his daughter was always sick to the point of death.

He said that according to Akeddei tradition, the only way to save her life is for a man to pay a symbolic price and save the child’s life and that it had nothing to do with a real marriage.

According to the “groom”, the outcry that trailed the rite is regrettable as all he did was just to save the child’s life as she is no longer sick again.

https://dailytrust.com/why-we-married-off-our-4-yr-old-daughter-to-54-yr-old-man-parents/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3kmdExzszu-T-_jtZX18K-Eg59lMW4BSexcrxNZQJlkfvePLO9JbowAEQ#google_vignette

Wahala

I believe their story,such traditional rite exists.

Shameful

Dejl:
Shameful

No. You saying this thing means you have not experienced things in this world. This world is larger than logic oh. I heaved a sigh of relief after reading that "the traditional rite will also not stop the girl from marrying any man of her choice when she grows up to the age of marriage.”

Some traditional rites still caste us as barbaric and uncivilized.

The poor girl always falling ill may not be far from sickle cell disease.

In some tradition, they are even call "ogbanje".

This is largely poverty driven.

Lol, imagine this happened somewhere in the north, the internet will be on fire now. This story broke last week, but the hypocrites who always jump on such news from the north have been on silent mode.

They need someone to be paying the hospital bills .

Winneepye:
They need someone to be paying the hospital bills .

Some things are spiritual.

JAMO84:
Lol, imagine this happened somewhere in the north, the internet will be on fire now. This story broke last week, but the hypocrites who always jump on such news from the north have been on silent mode.

How sure you read what was posted. I don't think so.
Lower your tribal adrenaline rush.

Wonders sha never start

JAMO84:
Lol, imagine this happened somewhere in the north, the internet will be on fire now. This story broke last week, but the hypocrites who always jump on such news from the north have been on silent mode.

read again.....d rites were paid but d girl remains with d parents to grow first ...in d north na straight bleeping....there's always a difference in d way d south behaves to d north

JAMO84:
Lol, imagine this happened somewhere in the north, the internet will be on fire now. This story broke last week, but the hypocrites who always jump on such news from the north have been on silent mode.

North case will lead to actual penile insertion. That's the difference. This was done to accomplish a traditional rite while that of North is exemplified in their religion.

Nigeria Need separation

Now I get it. More like an ogbanje or abiku rites.

If it's their culture then no problem

Arrant nonsense

matify83:
Some traditional rites still caste us as barbaric and uncivilized.

The poor girl always falling ill may not be far from sickle cell disease.

In some tradition, they are even call "ogbanje".

This is largely poverty driven.

You don't know what you are saying. Two Europeans just meet each other and start living together as husband and wife without bride price. Doesn't it make them barbaric?

Everyone has his or her culture

Wtf
Utterly disgusting 🤢
Super repulsive 🤢
Fuq…..I’m gonna go throw up 🤮 now 🤮

Shalaye

Okoroawusa:

You don't know what you are saying. Two Europeans just meet each other and start living together as husband and wife without bride price. Doesn't it make them barbaric?

Everyone has his or her culture

Can you equate your assertions to marrying off a 4 year old girl to a 54 year old man?

Which society sanctions that if they are not barbaric, uncivilized and fetish.

matify83:
Some traditional rites still caste us as barbaric and uncivilized.

The poor girl always falling ill may not be far from sickle cell disease.

In some tradition, they are even call "ogbanje".

This is largely poverty driven.

please respect tradition, even medically tradition is highly regarded.

JAMO84:
Lol, imagine this happened somewhere in the north, the internet will be on fire now. This story broke last week, but the hypocrites who always jump on such news from the north have been on silent mode.

If agbado don't bring tribalism into a topic, they'll have severe eréctile dysfunction

MASTAkiLLAh:
If agbado don't bring tribalism into a topic, they'll have severe eréctile dysfunction

If you don't bring Tinubu into every discussion, you cannot experience any form of happiness in your life. That man built a 57 room mansion in your head.

JAMO84:
If you don't bring Tinubu into every discussion, you cannot experience any form of happiness in your life. That man built a 57 room mansion in your head.

look at this nama lying effortlessly like his father the devil. Please point out where I mentioned Tinubu here

MASTAkiLLAh:
look at this nama lying effortlessly like his father the devil. Please point out where I mentioned Tinubu here

What is agbado? Omo agbewure

RECTEM:
Nigeria Need separation

Though I am a die hard advocate of separation, I can't figure out what brought separation to this matter.

JAMO84:
What is agbado? My mother is Omo agbewure

agbado is people like you dindinrin

MASTAkiLLAh:
you're damn right sir

Haha ha!


Benin republic 6 weeks degree holder.


You see your life!!!!!!!!!



You can't never alter my post and getaway with it.

Your types are the ones falsifying documents upanddown scamming hardworking Nigerians off their little change.

My original post was at 10:18 am, you modified it and posted at 11:41am.

You can't be trusted.

JAMO84:
Lol, imagine this happened somewhere in the north, the internet will be on fire now. This story broke last week, but the hypocrites who always jump on such news from the north have been on silent mode.

The internet was on fire when the news broke out, that's why the issue got to this level. It's because of the outcry that also made the Bayelsa State Government, National Human Rights Commission and Civil Society Groups look deeply into the issue.