Anti-trafficking agency to prosecute Yerima over child bride

The report, which was submitted to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke, at the end of last week, detailed a number of steps taken by the controversial former state governor in a bid to evade legal scrutiny over the marriage.

Mr. Yerima, according to NAPTIP, was fully aware that the Egyptian law prevents union with minors as well as marriage between persons with more than 25 years age difference. Hence, he moved the venue of the marriage ceremony to Nigeria, where the enforcement of child rights regulation is seemingly lax.

The father of the minor, who found himself a rich man overnight, no thanks to the generous $100,000 dowry given to him by the Nigerian senator, was also faced with the dilemma of convincing immigration officials that he was wealthy enough to transport himself, his daughter, as well as a horde of 32 friends and relatives into Nigeria with the abysmal pay of a ‘workman’, as indicated in his international passport, number A01086511, issued in 2009.

“Taking into cognizance the issue of dowry of $100,000, which draws inference of debt bondage and inducement to have unlawful carnal knowledge of the victim, the necessity to change the profession of the father from that of an ordinary workman to an influential business mogul became not only imperative but also desirable, so as to conceal the real intent of the marriage to the underage victim,” the NAPTIP investigation report, exclusively obtained by NEXT, said.

Maged Saleh Mohammed Eladly, the father of the child bride, Marim, promptly obtained another passport, number A01403462, this time indicating his profession as an ‘Import and Export Office Owner’. It is not clear whether the Nigerian senator was aware of, or involved in, this elaborate scheme by his soon-to-be father-in-law. But NAPTIP officials are already roping him into the scheme.

“The Senator not only held our law with disdain, but encouraged foreigners to break same,” the report says.

Getting married

On March 15, 2010, Mr. Elady bundled his 14-year-old daughter onto an Egypt Air, flight MS 877, en route Abuja. On board the flight were his 32 guests. The Nigerian lawmaker, Mr. Yerima, according to NAPTIP, sponsored the flight. On the 17th of March, 2010, barely two months after her 14th birthday, Marim was dressed up for the marriage. Her groom, the 49-year-old father of 26 children, later wedded her according to Islamic jurisprudence in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The marriage was conducted at the Abuja Central Mosque by the Chief Imam of the mosque, in the presence of Mr. Yerima’s guardian, Moktar Ahmed Anka, and the bride’s guardian, Maged Saleh Mohammed.

Indicting the Senator

Mr. Yerima, who was granted bail on grounds of self-recognisance in the sum of N5 million, following his arrest by NAPTIP officials, may find himself no longer at ease, as the agency has now recommended to the Attorney General’s office and the Nigerian Police that the senator be prosecuted.

The lawmaker has been found to have violated Sections 21, 22 (1&2) and 23 (a-d) of the Child Rights Act 2003, which is operational in the FCT and Sections 12(a&b), 13(1&2), 14 (1) and 17(a&b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act 2003.

“It is worthy of note that the behaviour of Senator Ahmed Yerima is a clear negation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of 1989 and that of African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (CRCW) 1990. Nigeria ratified these instruments in 1990 and 1991 respectively,” the NAPTIP report stated.

Furthermore, for withholding information from the NAPTIP officials, the agency has declared the senator unwilling to cooperate with the law enforcement agency.

“Senator Ahmed Rufai Yerima violates the above mentioned provisions both in Egypt and Nigeria. A senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whose responsibility and allegiance is to the federation and the constitution, should not fragrantly abuse same. He should be made accountable for his misdeeds,” the agency said of Mr. Yerima, who has continued to justify his actions as being in accordance with the tenets of the Sharia code.

The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Roland Ewubare, said his agency would support the recommendations made by NAPTIP.

“I am aware that NAPTIP has conducted an extensive and rigorous investigation of the Yerima child bride matter. I am also aware that the investigation was done with the active support of the Egyptian authorities,” he said.

“If NAPTIP has now made a recommendation, one way or the other, then at a minimum, such a recommendation must be given maximum deference and implemented fully. Anything short of this will be tantamount to a cover up and non-adherence to the principle of equality of all Nigerians (senators and non-senators) before the law.”

Senator’s woes

At the time of this report, the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Adoke said he was yet to go through the report, which had just been brought to his table and, therefore, cannot make any comments on the next move.

Mr. Yerima’s woes is likely to continue outside the shores of this country, as NEXT gathered that even the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) has written to the National Assembly to take a strong chance against such a practice.

The IPU is an international organisation of parliaments of sovereign states, which works for the peace of cooperation amongst people. IPU is also committed to responding to, promoting, and implementing international human rights instruments and standards, particularly in regards to the protection of children