Child Marriage now Punishable Crime in Borno State- Gov Shettima warns parents

The Borno State Government has made underage marriage of female children a punishable crime in the state and that any parent found guilty will be prosecuted.

The state governor, Mr Kashim Shettima  who gave the warning while addressing parents whose children are beneficiaries of the free basic education introduced by his government on Wednesday charge them to allow their wards to at least finish secondary schools.

Shettima said: “Allow them to finish secondary school; irrespective of all the assistance and hospitality we offer you, whoever marries out his 12-year-old daughter would be prosecuted.

The government also presented parents with incentives which included food items and wears, as part of efforts to encourage them to send their female children to school rather than selling them off to marriage.

“We as parents must help them acquire western and religious education,” the governor stated.

The Fulani community comprises mostly displaced persons from the Lake Chad region seeking refuge in Maiduguri.

Prior to the free education initiative, many of the Fulani parents were opposed to western education.

However, they have now been made to understand and accept the benefits of education for their (female) children.

Nearly 600 Fulani children are now to benefit from the free education programme.