A teenage girl has fled from her home town in Plateau State to Ekiti State to escape being married off, a group of lawyers has said.
Spokesperson of the Federation of Women Lawyers in Ekiti State Lola Aluko in a statement on Monday said the 15-year-old fled on September 17 to stay with her brother identified as Adamu to avoid the marriage allegedly organised by her father.
The victim, the statement read, reported the case at the group’s office on September 22.
“Calls were put through to her brother, requesting him to be present at a scheduled meeting on September 23, 2020. The girl was then taken to a secret home (a FIDA shelter) to spend the night,” the group said.
“On the day of the scheduled meeting, the minor was brought from the home to FIDA’s office. Her brother, Adamu, came and from the information he gave, their father had effected the arrest of a man in Plateau State, claiming that the man sponsored her trip to Ekiti.
“Even though the man was released the following day, the girl’s father threatened to re-arrest the said man if she did not return to Plateau State on Monday, September 28, 2020.
“FIDA swung into action, called the National Human Rights Commission, Ekiti State branch, which then linked us with the Plateau branch. We called the Plateau branch, gave them a summary of the case and we were assured that they would take up the case and ensure that the man is safe.”
Aluko said the victim’s brother was made to sign an undertaking that the minor will report at the group’s office every Wednesday by 12pm for counselling.
