Family drags man to court for rights violation over child marriage

The family of Kamaldeen and Sherifat Adenike Adeoti has approached the Federal Capital Territory High Court seeking N100 million damage against an Ilorin businessman, Alhaji Murtala Akanbi, over alleged violation of their fundamental rights.

The Adeoti family also prayed the court to direct Akanbi to make a written apology to them and have such published in three national newspapers circulated in Nigeria.

In the suit brought yesterday on behalf of the family by the mother, Sherifat Adenike Adeoti, through their counsel, W.Y. Mamman, the family also asked the court to restrain Akanbi from further trespass and conducting himself in an “arbitrary, illegal, harsh, oppressive manner and for unwarranted intimidation, threat to life, and dignity which gave rise to the cause of action.”

According to the father of the girl in a letter to the Commissioner of Police, his family’s ordeal begun in August 2017, after he refused Akanbi’s request to marry his 15-year-old daughter, because she was still in school and the man was old enough to be her grandfather.

He alleged that following his decline to the marriage proposal, he began to receive threat messages with ultimatum of two weeks to approve the marriage or be killed. He stated that his wife was kidnapped and held in captivity for several weeks, which resulted in their daughter becoming physically, mentally and psychologically traumatised and could no longer cope with her education.

When the matter was called yesterday, counsel to the police, which was joined as second defendant, Urom Otu, pleaded for leave for extension of time to file their preliminary objection and counter affidavit in the matter.

Meanwhile, counsel to the Adeotis did not object to the application but asked for time to reply to the counter affidavit. Justice Hassan Babangida granted both applications and adjourned the matter till September 12 for hearing.