Shan George condemns religion supporting child marriage

Shan George

Nollywood actress Shan George has expressed displeasure at any religion or culture that encourages child marriage.

The 48-year-old expressed her view in an Instagram post on Friday in reaction to the recent wedding of a 70-year-old man and his much younger bride in Niger State.

According to her, her heart bled at the sight of a picture from the wedding.

“I detest any man, woman, religion, government, tradition or anything under the earth that would put a child like this under this kind of eternal emotional, psychological and physical torture in the name of marriage,” Shan added.

Social media reaction to news of the man identified as Mr Chanji marrying a young bride has been mostly negative.

It inspired one Jacobu Eleyinbo to begin an online petition to the United Nations against child marriage and girl child rape in Northern Nigeria.

Mr Eleyinbo is advocating for states mostly in the northern part of Nigeria to set a minimum age that is not below 18 for marriage.

There are, however, reports that Chanji’s bride is not 15 years old as initially reported but 20.

This is said to be her third marriage.