The Story of a 16-year-old Mum, Married off Twice at 14 in Nigeria

At 14 Chioma lost her mum while they lived in Edo state, but she still has the sense of what is good for her.

Her father, however, seized the mother’s absence,  brought Chioma along with her sister to Anambra, and married her off. Twice.

Commissioner of Women and Social Welfare Ify Obinabo said the girls’ father first handed her over to a 70-year-old.

As much as the father, Uzochukwu Okoli, knew, Chioma was 18 or 20, depending on who asked him. He also knew the miserable life he made her live, and wouldn’t have blinked  if she had wished him death.

After a while, the 14-year-old ran away from the marriage–back to her father’s house. Okoli then shipped her back out to a younger man.  Chinedu is 2o years older than his teenage wife, Obinabo said in her statement.

Chioma, now with a nine-month-old baby,  endured what she described to Obinabo as ‘a living hell at Chinedu’s. He beat her, peed in her mouth, the girl told the authorities.

That raw treatment made her run away again, with her baby.

Okoli, however, got angry. So Chioma, now 16, and her sister went to report their experience to the ministry.

On his arrest, the father made no excuses about violating the Child Rights Act 2003 or the fundamental rights of the girl.

And the consequences never worried  him.

According to the commissioner, Okoli gave Chioma and her sister an option: they pray he die in jail.

“He threatened to make life more miserable for them if he got out alive.”

Obinabo has directed that the case go to court so that the children can get justice.