By Staff writer
A video of a paunchy middle-aged man from Kano in Northern Nigeria marrying an 11-year-old girl has been met with outrage on social media.
The man is an alhaji, meaning he is a senior member of the community, and has made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Such marriages are legal in Northern Nigeria.
In the video that is making the rounds online, the Alhaji expresses great joy as he unveils his new wife and brings her to his side.
The man claims the marriage was born out of love and mutual consent: “She is my choice. I married her because we love each other.”
While many on social media condemned the marriage as child abuse, some defended it saying that Islam allows such marriages and they are normal in Northern Nigeria.
Here is an example of the twitter responses:
“It is child abuse but Nigerian law is something else. End Child Marriage.”
“The mere thought of this man mounting this child is a nightmare.”
“This is clear child molestation, and most times I wonder if Islamic religion in Nigeria is different from the one they practise outside Nigeria.”
“This is garnished paedophilia. Can someone explain to me how a grown ass man is attracted to a baby? This is so sad 😢.”
“Na all these nonsense dey cause am😒😏 She doesn’t look happy.”
Pictured above: The Alhaji and his bride
Source: Twitter
