Groom recounts shock, ordeal of eating food poisoned by bride courted for 2 years
Khamis Haruna, 29, the groom who was hospitalised after eating poisoned food allegedly prepared by his 14-year-old bride, has expressed shock at the turn of events, saying he was in courtship with her for two years before their wedding.
Haruna expressed shock and disbelief over the incident, saying he thought their “love” was genuine.
By law, the minimum age of maturity, consent, and of marriage in Nigeria is 18 years.
The food poisoning incident occurred on December 22, two days after Haruna’s wedding with the child in Jigawa.
He said the bride’s friends brought a meal of jollof spaghetti to him and his two friends while they were at his tailoring shop.
“We had taken a few spoons when we noticed a harmful substance in the meal. A few minutes later, my friend Alfah began complaining of stomach pains. By the time we got to a friend’s house for help, all of us were feeling unwell,” he recounted.
Haruna said the three of them were taken to Jahun Hospital where one of his friends, Muhammad Alfah, died but himself and the other friend, Isyaku Adamu, survived.
He alleged that his under-aged bride was influenced by an ex-lover who provided her with the poison and instructed her to add it to the food.
“We were married for love. She never showed any signs of resentment or worry. I’m really surprised she carried out such an evil act.”
Child marriage in Nigeria has raised concern within and outside the country.
The Child Rights Act 2003 prohibits marriage for anyone under 18, but the Jigawa legislature modified the law, removing prohibition on child marriage, with the lawmakers arguing that determining a girl’s maturity age was subjective.
Despite legal restrictions in other states, child marriage remains common, particularly in the North.
The cultural and legislative disparities between the North and South continue to challenge efforts to protect children’s rights.
– Daily Post.
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