Underage marriage: 13 parents convicted
Thirteen parents in Niger State have been prosecuted for withdrawing their children from schools and forcing them into early marriage.
Daily Trust reports that, the Commissioner for Education, Fatima Madugu, told journalists in Minna yesterday that the state government had initiated a legislation to make forcing a girl child of school age into early marriage punishable through the courts, adding that the gesture has begun to yield the desired result.
According to her, the convicted parents forced their wards out of school into marriage and therefore were liable to prosecution with the courts handing various jail terms and appropriate fines.
She said seven of the affected girls who indicated interest in continuing their studies had been returned to schools under the sponsorship of the state government, while others were currently learning skills of their choice.
She said about N365 million had been disbursed to 12,911 households and care givers in the phase 3 of the Girls Education Programme across the state.
She said the state government was also working to encourage retention and transition from primary to secondary schools and tertiary institutions respectively.
