Court Stops Islamic Cleric From Marrying 16-yr Old Girl in Ondo

A family court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has stopped an Islamic cleric, Yusuf Lateef, from marrying a 16-year-old secondary school girl.

Mr Lateef is said to be married to five wives even as he proposed to the teenager through her parent.

The defendant had approached the girl’s parents to marry their daughter in 2019 when she was 15-years-old but the girl had refused his proposition and fled from Ore to Akure.

Her parents had allegedly forced her to accept the proposal and a day was fixed for the wedding but the girl, didn’t show up on the day.

The three man panel led by Justice Aderemi Adegoroye ordered the return of the girl to her family for proper care and education and warned Mr Lateef to stay away from her.

Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development Mrs Titilola Adeyemi described the judgment as a victory for children in the state.