Erelu_Y:

[size=15pt]No one would know how the case fared because we have an insane judicial system in Nigeria, where the likes of Farouk, Cecilia Ibru get away with heinous crimes and a hungry man who stole Osun State governor's mobile phone received around half a century prison term. Nigeria has become a joke and the laughing stock of the entire world. Nigerians get deported from places like Yemen, Somalia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Can you imagine that? Shame![/size]

Gunzilla: Okay,so I decided to weigh in on this “Child Marriage” debate going on in Nigeria right now.I know it’s largely a waste of time,because the average intelligence of most Nairalanders is that of a gnat and most of you have made up your narrow minds without verifying any fact.Yes I’m talking about people like Delors,Kamsy10,Julieeccentric(smh)Fitzy4real that just read the headlines on newspapers and just run with it.
For the avoidance of any doubt, I’m a Yoruba guy from a strong Christian background and I abhor old men marrying kids as much as the next guy.But can you people please show where and how the current amendment of S.29 leads to the marriage of under age kids ?
As Naptu has taken great pains to explain what the Section of the Constitution says is:
29. (1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.

(a) "full age" means the age of eighteen years and above;

(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.

The amendment is seeking to delete (b) above and that’s what Yerima objected against and argued that its against Islamic Law. Now for the sake of argument, lets assume that the sub-section is deleted. THE FACT STILL REMAINS THAT S.29 IS TALKING ABOUT RENUNCIATION OF CITIZENSHIP AND NOT MARRIAGE. How hard is that to understand? So “FULL AGE” here is talking about age to renounce.Thats what this sub-section is talking about..the CAPACITY to renounce citizenship.

Now talking about AGE TO MARRY, the fact remains that whether we like it or not, for states that have adopted Sharia Law, this is the Law that applies. We may not like it(I certainly do not), but that’s the law as prescribed by this same 1999 Constitution. As long as Sharia Law allows underage marriage, it’s going to continue. That’s what S.277 and S.278 of the Constitution has guaranteed.
277. (1) The Sharia Court of Appeal of a State shall, in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by the law of the State, exercise such appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal Law which the court is competent to decide in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the Sharia Court of Appeal shall be competent to decide -
(a) any question of Islamic personal Law regarding a marriage concluded in accordance with that Law, including a question relating to the validity or dissolution of such a marriage or a question that depends on such a marriage and relating to family relationship or the guardianship of an infant;
This is the Constitution. It supersedes any other law of the land including the Child Rights Act of 2003 makes it unlawful for anyone under 18 to marry. SO,JUST SO YOU KNOW,THE CONSTITUTION OF NIGERIA AS IT STANDS TODAY ALLOWS CHILD MARRIAGE UNDER SHARIA LAW.
So if you want to outlaw child marriages, start writing to your Senators and HOR members to amend S.277 and to make sure that the Sharia Courts of Appeal of a State are precluded from having jurisdiction over the validity of marriages, removing the matter from Sharia Law and placing the issue of age and capacity to marry firmly under the Child Rights Act 2003 ,instead of jumping on the bandwagon of people without common sense like Stella Damascus or whatever her name is that stated that she read extensively on the issue. Begs that question that what exactly did she read ?? Go on youtube and make a video,go on twitter and retweet frequently.But make sure that you are actually talking about the relevant issue and not about a person’s age and capacity to renounce citizenship.

Fitzy4real:

Of course, just quote 1 or 2 sections of d constitution and everything will be alright, paedophilia is justified. What u agreed d@ is wrong is now automatically alright. I figure d@ u just saw dose sections of d law d@ u quoted in an article somwhr and decided 2 copy and paste it on nairaland so as 2 feel smart. Well, I hav read d@ section of d constitution extensively as well. I read it b4 I made any comment. Law is all about context, it has nw been accepted in d context of renunciation of citizenship. It won't be long b4 dey'll start pushing 4 it in d context of marriage which is exactly what Mr. Yerima wz interested in. If you have read his defence, u'd know w@ I'm talking abt.

Gunzilla: Okay,so I decided to weigh in on this “Child Marriage” debate going on in Nigeria right now.I know it’s largely a waste of time,because the average intelligence of most Nairalanders is that of a gnat and most of you have made up your narrow minds without verifying any fact.Yes I’m talking about people like Delors,Kamsy10,Julieeccentric(smh)Fitzy4real that just read the headlines on newspapers and just run with it.
For the avoidance of any doubt, I’m a Yoruba guy from a strong Christian background and I abhor old men marrying kids as much as the next guy.But can you people please show where and how the current amendment of S.29 leads to the marriage of under age kids ?
As Naptu has taken great pains to explain what the Section of the Constitution says is:
29. (1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.

(a) "full age" means the age of eighteen years and above;

(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.

The amendment is seeking to delete (b) above and that’s what Yerima objected against and argued that its against Islamic Law. Now for the sake of argument, lets assume that the sub-section is deleted. THE FACT STILL REMAINS THAT S.29 IS TALKING ABOUT RENUNCIATION OF CITIZENSHIP AND NOT MARRIAGE. How hard is that to understand? So “FULL AGE” here is talking about age to renounce.Thats what this sub-section is talking about..the CAPACITY to renounce citizenship.

Now talking about AGE TO MARRY, the fact remains that whether we like it or not, for states that have adopted Sharia Law, this is the Law that applies. We may not like it(I certainly do not), but that’s the law as prescribed by this same 1999 Constitution. As long as Sharia Law allows underage marriage, it’s going to continue. That’s what S.277 and S.278 of the Constitution has guaranteed.
277. (1) The Sharia Court of Appeal of a State shall, in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by the law of the State, exercise such appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal Law which the court is competent to decide in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the Sharia Court of Appeal shall be competent to decide -
(a) any question of Islamic personal Law regarding a marriage concluded in accordance with that Law, including a question relating to the validity or dissolution of such a marriage or a question that depends on such a marriage and relating to family relationship or the guardianship of an infant;
This is the Constitution. It supersedes any other law of the land including the Child Rights Act of 2003 makes it unlawful for anyone under 18 to marry. SO,JUST SO YOU KNOW,THE CONSTITUTION OF NIGERIA AS IT STANDS TODAY ALLOWS CHILD MARRIAGE UNDER SHARIA LAW.
So if you want to outlaw child marriages, start writing to your Senators and HOR members to amend S.277 and to make sure that the Sharia Courts of Appeal of a State are precluded from having jurisdiction over the validity of marriages, removing the matter from Sharia Law and placing the issue of age and capacity to marry firmly under the Child Rights Act 2003 ,instead of jumping on the bandwagon of people without common sense like Stella Damascus or whatever her name is that stated that she read extensively on the issue. Begs that question that what exactly did she read ?? Go on youtube and make a video,go on twitter and retweet frequently.But make sure that you are actually talking about the relevant issue and not about a person’s age and capacity to renounce citizenship.

naptu2: Note: full age as defined there only refers to the ability to renounce citizenship. It does not refer to voting, marriage, etc.

Note the explanation before the definition.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.


It is only for the purposes of subsection (1) of that section (which deals with renunciation of citizenship).

naptu2: This brings me to another issue. People always say "the news is boring", "politics is boring", etc and I think that attitude is one of the reasons why controversies like this arise.

The constitution amendment committee sat in every senatorial district in this country, how many of the people that are complaining attended the sitting in their locality? How many have taken the time to study the constitution so that they'll know what it says? How many went to the committee's sittings with a proposal for the amendment of the constitution? How many have actually read these sections in order to know what they actually say?

paschalomenihu: OUR SENATORS HAS NO WORK.ISSUE SUCH AS VOTING FOR AN UNDER AGE GIRL IS NOT OUR PROBLEM IN NIJA. WE HAVE A LOT OF WAHALA IN OUR HANDS, OUR SENATORS SHOULD PLEASE HAVE A RETHINK,THE ENTIRE WORLD IS WATCHING US. ONE YOU WAKE UP AND HEAR THAT OUR SENATORS HAS PASS INTO LAW FOR SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN NIJA.EVERYTHING THAT IS EVIL IS POSSIBLE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. MAY GOD HELP US.

Yoshi-Master:
So why did that Yerima guy make some speech on the floor, saying that to go against that would be to go against Islamic Law?

In using Islamic law as reasoning behind any law, doesn't that conflict with the whole idea of Nigeria being a secular state?

How does an underage girl get married in the first place? Then once she is married, she automatically becomes "of age"?

Also in his response to his critics, he mentioned that he too could give out his kid daughter.

I'm not a Lawyer, so I wouldn't mind if anyone takes me to school on these questions raised. Just trying to fit the pieces together.


you av got some brain .......... we are no fools, bunch of liars .......shameless old senators