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Forced Marriage Booms In Niger State

Published

3 years ago

August 10, 2023

… Foul Cries Follow Investigative Reports

… Govt Urged To Save Young Girls

Niger state government has been urged to rise in defence of young girls being forced into marriages by their families, as well as ensuring perpetrators of the illegal act are sanctioned.

The call for Governor Mohammed Bago-led Niger State to frontally tackle the spate of forced marriage is coming on the heels of an investigative report by the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) exposing how young girls are married off against their wishes in villages in Gbako and Lavun Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Niger State.

Legal practitioner & gender activist Yewande Ogundipe led the call for enforcement of child rights laws and punishment of offenders during an anti-corruption radio programme, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by PRIMORG, Wednesday in Abuja.

Ogundipe lamented that despite orientation and reorientation over the years, the situation is worsening due to a lack of consequence for those forcing underage children into marriage, emphasizing that the way out is “sanctions and enforcement.”

She stressed that some sections of the Nigerian Constitution had not helped the fight against forced marriage in the country as “it on one breathe prohibits and on another supports child marriage,” allowing some people to exploit the constitutional lacuna and continue marrying underage girls.

“The constitution of Nigeria in use currently is not helping the matter. There is more to be done. There are a lot of dead letter laws. Child rights laws have expressly prohibited marrying children, but who has enforced them? Who has been jailed for marrying a child? The constitution is confused about the issue.

“Every state in Nigeria should be made to ratify and domesticate child rights law, have your own child rights law that will protect the children better, NGOs should go to the grassroots and deal directly with women and children in distress, let them know if this (child marriage) happens to call this phone number, we would come and rescue you, there is a level of fear and compliance when they know an organization is involved.

“Lawyers in Niger state, what are you doing about child marriages, have evangelism concerning this issue. It’s a fight for all,” Ogundipe advised.

Similarly, Senior investigative journalist at TheICIR, Olugbenga Adaniki, joined the call for the Niger state government to sanction perpetrators of forced marriage, stressing it will deter others with such intentions.

Adaniki called for the collaboration of faith-based organizations and religious leaders against the unlawful act, insisting that the political will of the state governor to punish offenders of child brides will send the right signal.

He added: “Niger state government can also deploy and stick approach by rewarding communities that deliberately work towards eliminating child marriage while sanctioning those found culpable.”

The journalist revealed that young girls interviewed during the investigation had terrible experiences. Some resorted to spending days in forests to escape their abusers. He said that in some cases, parents of the victims hypnotize their children to make them sleep with the man they have been married off to.

Adanikin emphasized that the abuse young girls are facing through forced marriages is worrisome and happening not only in the northern part of the country but also in other regions, hence urging that there should be a national campaign against child brides.

The investigation also revealed that both Child Rights Protection Agency in Niger state and Bida Emir’s Palace alluded that cases of child marriage are recurrent in the state.

Public Conscience is a syndicatchilded weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

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Eagle Times Newspaper Will Be Voice for Nigerians – Publisher Chukwunyere Vows

Published

8 hours ago

October 2, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Publisher of The Eagle Times Nigeria, Sir Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, has pledged that the newspaper will promote accountability, credible journalism and public-interest reporting in its coverage of national affairs.
Chukwunyere made the commitment on Thursday, October 1, 2026, during the official unveiling and launch of The Eagle Times Nigeria.

He said the new media organisation was established not merely to add another newspaper to Nigeria’s media landscape, but to provide a platform committed to serving the public interest.

According to him, the newspaper’s guiding philosophy, “The Voice for the People, The Watchdog for the Nation,” places a responsibility on the organisation to listen to Nigerians, tell their stories, highlight issues affecting their daily lives and scrutinise those entrusted with public responsibilities.

“To be a voice for the people means that we must listen to Nigerians, tell their stories, highlight their concerns and give visibility to issues that affect their daily lives,” he said.

The publisher added that The Eagle Times would be guided by accuracy, fairness, professionalism, credibility and responsible journalism, stressing that the newspaper would not publish stories merely because they were sensational.

“We will verify. We will investigate. We will seek the other side. We will correct our mistakes when we make them,” he said.

Chukwunyere further stated that the newspaper would endeavour to give individuals and organisations the opportunity to respond whenever allegations were made against them.
“Our commitment is not to any political party, government or individual. Our primary commitment is to journalism, to truth and to the Nigerian public,” he said.

He noted that the newspaper was launching at a time when the media industry was undergoing rapid transformation, with audiences increasingly consuming news through digital platforms, including websites, television, podcasts and social media.

He said The Eagle Times would therefore operate as a multimedia organisation, combining its newspaper with digital platforms and The Eagle Times TV to reach audiences across different channels.

According to him, the organisation also intends to create opportunities for young journalists, writers, photographers, producers, digital creators and other media professionals to develop their skills and contribute to journalism and national development.

Chukwunyere said the newspaper’s coverage would include politics, governance, business, economy, security, judiciary, education, health, technology, sports, entertainment, lifestyle and international affairs.

He, however, said the organisation intended to distinguish itself not only by the subjects it covered but by the quality and approach of its journalism.

We want to tell stories that matter, we want to investigate issues that require investigation, we want to highlight Nigerians who are making a difference, and we want to give communities that are often ignored an opportunity to be heard,” he said.

The publisher acknowledged the challenges involved in establishing a newspaper, saying the venture required investment, commitment, professional discipline and the courage to pursue an idea.

He expressed appreciation to the management, editorial, reporting, production and digital teams, as well as families, friends, partners and supporters who contributed to the establishment of the organisation.

Chukwunyere also assured readers, viewers and the newspaper’s digital audience that The Eagle Times would strive to earn their trust and remain accountable to the standards it had set for itself.

He said the newspaper’s success would not be measured only by circulation figures, website traffic or social media followers, but also by the confidence Nigerians placed in its journalism.

“Today, we spread our wings. Today, The Eagle Times takes flight,” he said, reaffirming the newspaper’s commitment to its slogan: “The Voice for the People, The Watchdog for the Nation.”

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