Paedophilia, One Nation Two Laws.

As Nigerians are basking in the euphoria of the release of the 21 Chibok girls, which many political watchers has described as a well scripted home video with the title the “KIDNAP OF THE CHIBOK GIRLS ” the actors had successfully acted it out in different seasons and scenes till this concluding part captioned THE RETURN OF CHIBOK 21 where I saw Mr. President address the public for the first time in a very sober and emotionally laden tongue devoid of his usual warning stance on how he will deal with any one who dared to test his resolve.

While I congratulate the APC on the successful premiere of that movie the Return of CHIBOK 21 I want to bring our attention to a very disturbing trend that has gone on for ages unchecked leaving the victims who are usually minors and females in a state of total emotional and psychological disrepair.

Just a few months back we all followed the story of how Yinusa Yellow eloped with Ese Oruru a minor from Bayelsa to kano,barred her parents from seeing her, changed her religion and name,forced her into marriage with the full connivance and support of his family and religious leaders who went ahead to conduct a wedding without the consent of the parents of the girl knowing very well that she is a minor and incapable of taking responsibilities over her action at that age, his supporters and co-travellers in the inhuman,wicked, irresponsible and barbaric act of paedophilia backed it up the with sharia law that gave them the power to dehumanise and ravage an under aged girl in the name of marriage.

While the involution of the Emir of Kano in the unholy union between Yinusa and Ese Oruru cannot be clearly ascertained as the Emir of Kano Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was quick to deny any involvement in the barbarous exogamy as soon as it became public knowledge and rights groups began to agitate for the release of the minor.

There are several of this devilish misalliances taking place every other day in the northern part of Nigeria, which has been going unnoticed or unannounced by the parents or relatives of the girl child for fear of being victimised or even killed and are definitely sure that they are not going to get any protection or help from the law enforcement agents.

But the most terrifying is the latest by the Emir of Katsina Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir who was defending the adoption, forcible conversion and forceful marriage of a 14 year old Habiba Isiyaku a Christian and a minor by one of the emirs relatives and the Emir’s closest aide Jamilu Lawal right inside his palace.

Inline with our extant laws on the rights of a child or a minor “Section 21 of the Child’s Rights Act stipulates that no person shall remove or take a child out of the custody or protection of his father,mother or guardian against the will of the father, mother or guardian” under this very act any marriage so contracted is null, void and of no effect under the law, but the question again is under which law?

The sharia law or the laws of the federal republic of Nigeria. I find it therefore extremely difficult to come to terms with the learned Emirs position that the minor was not forced into such a marriage, what is more disturbing is the fact that such irreverence and depredation on the 14 year old Habiba is being done right inside the Emirs palace, the position of the commissioner of police in this issue leaves me confused as to which statute book the country,s legal system is predicated upon.

The police in all the cases raised in the northern part of Nigeria has taken a position of CAN,T HELP based on the laws as established by the Sharia legal system, but if such a case is established in the southern part of Nigeria the law and the society will waste no time in dealing severe blows on whoever is involved in violating the rights of the girl child as Paedophilia is perceived not only as a crime against humanity and society but a sacrilege. And that brings us to the question, Are we running on different standards and different