A Nigerian senator accused of marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl says he has done nothing wrong.
Ahmad Sani Yerima, 49, told the BBC that his fourth wife was not 13, but would not say how old she was.
He denied breaking the law but said he would not respect any law that contradicted his religious beliefs.
The Nigerian senate ordered an investigation after complaints from women’s groups but the senator said he did not care what the groups thought.
Mr Sani was the governor of Zamfara state, where he oversaw the introduction of Sharia law – for the first time in a northern state – in 1999.
As a Muslim, as I always say, I consider God’s law and that of his prophet above any other law
Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima
He said he felt it was this that was behind the uproar over his marriage.
“I consider all those complaining about this issue as detractors, because since 1999… many people have been waging different kind of wars against me,” he told the BBC’s Hausa Service by telephone from Egypt.
The senator said he had followed “standard rules for marriage in Islam”.
“I don’t care about the issue of age since I have not violated any rule as far as Islam is concerned,” he said.
“History tells us that Prophet Muhammad did marry a young girl as well. Therefore I have not contravened any law. Even if she is 13, as it is being falsely peddled around.
“If I state the age, they will still use it to smear Islam,” he said.
The BBC’s Caroline Duffield in Lagos says newspaper reports of the marriage have created a storm among human rights groups.
This very evil act should not be seen to be perpetrated by one of our distinguished legislators
Mma Wokocha Women’s Medical Association head
Female senators – lawyers and doctors – who are protesting say that they fear for the child’s health.
“What we are concerned with is that our minors, the girl child, should be allowed to mature, before going into marriage,” Mma Wokocha, president of the Women’s Medical Association and one of those behind a petition, told the BBC.
“This very evil act should not be seen to be perpetrated by one of our distinguished legislators… that is what we are saying.”
The senator is reported to have paid a dowry of $100,000 to the child’s parents – and to have brought the girl into Nigeria from Egypt.
The women’s groups want Mr Sani to be taken to court, to face a fine and a jail sentence.
They say he has contravened the Child Rights Act of 2003 which, although not ratified by all Nigeria’s 36 states, is law in the capital where he lives and his marriage is believed to have taken place.
“As a Muslim, as I always say, I consider God’s law and that of his prophet above any other law,” Mr Sani said.
“I will not respect any law that contradicts that and whoever wants to sanction me for that is free to do that.”
Newspaper reports have also accused the senator of having previously married a 15-year-old girl in 2006.
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Well in earlier times marrying “children” (children do have sexuality
though of course not in an adult way) was common, that didn´t
necessarily mean it lead to direct sex between the sexes.
We are nowadays a bit psychotic about our own child-protect-mania
and it is in the nature of women to get a bit hysteric about it.
In fact hysteria is often a girl´s best friend…
There is NO proof at all that (friendly) sexuality causes a child any harm,
and some experts say that in the US and Europe, about one third
of all minors do regularly have sex with adults.
This is of course unofficial and we must, must, must condemn it
(hands to your ears, eyes etc. !) because what *may* not be true
can never be allowed to be just what it is : human nature.
What exactly was the “age of consent” in pre-puritan Rome ?
And does anyone here believe we are better than the Romans were ?
We are worse, we don´t fry Christians ;)
But just so nobody misunderstands me – I would never fry a child !
Da-da.
f u you muslim pigs
The hypocrisy of the feminist shows its evil teeth yet again. These evil old bitches use “child protection” propaganda to enact statutory rape laws so that they might stand a chance of finding a husband. If a 10 year old french girl can easily, and consensually, give birth without any ill consequences then why should it be forbidden if it happens to be with an older man who is more likely to be able to support the baby’s welfare with a job far more stable than that of a teenagers? Are 30 year old men more evil, manipulative, and abusive than sex crazed 13 year old men; HA! what hypocrisy. In high-school I am expected to consider all these girls as “hot stuff”, but as soon as I turn 18 I am suddenly supposed to consider these girls unattractive… WHAT! Hot is Hot; end of story!
The christian bible is no different regarding age of marriage. Love is love regardless of age, arranged or not.
You so full of shit it’s not even funny.
You talking about rape, rape because no one under the age of eighteen can truly consent to sex because they do not understand it emotionally, physically.
Yes teenagers have sex and it’s usually due to a lack of proper education, bad parenting or lack there of, childish rebeliiousness or rape and incestuous rape.
Take your eighteenth century views and shove them up your ass! the time has come for you dumb men to leave girls to mature fully before marriage and child birth.
Truth is you don’t want to because it gives us reproductive and human rights.
Fuck you, fuck islam and fuck christianity
ahmad…. ohh ahmad.. u shudv stuck wif ur age group.. :-D
Ahmad Sani Yerima, 49, told the BBC that his fourth wife was not 13, but would not say how old she was.
He denied breaking the law but said he would not respect any law that contradicted his religious beliefs.,Ohhhh isnt that cute and then says to bad if u dont like it ,somebody put the trash out,total garbage
The Nigerian senate ordered an investigation after complaints from women’s groups but the senator said he did not care what the groups thought.
Mr Sani was the governor of Zamfara state, where he oversaw the introduction of Sharia law – for the
Who cares, it’s not our buisness, just as it is not their buisness to move into our peoples lands.
The Zionest ( not the ones of the Bible ) and forceing us to accept being invaded, while the Khazar/Jews ( they are not Hebrews ) are all about race. Race was created by God.
big deal , a muslim needs a smack up the head now ,r u ready
Oh just on the way out Pat, you were also created by God ?
I say… cause me, just having been born to a female primate,
really wouldn´t know about such things.
But you being created by God I say he is getting a bit heavy-handed,
playing around too much with mud.
Can’t say I’m surprised though. He’s a muslim.
And the blacks have similar transitions.
The SA president has 3 wives, 1 died and he divorced one, but he’s now got a fiancee too. So that brings it to 4. According to islam, a man can have 4 wives, as well as slave girls (sex-slaves) and temporary marriages. So frankly, I don’t think there’s any such thing as marriage in islam.
In SA this type of dowry is called lobola, which is paid to the girl’s parents. It could be cattle or expensive liquor etc too. Well, let’s be honest, to her father.
Totally agree with you Gaston. It better stop, these 3rd world types need to get out and stay out. Let them solve their problems in their own countries, rather than bring them here.
People like the edl can handle this crap ,garbage ,its time for the muslim to paay !!~!!!!
mo was a child moleaster , !!!!
when will the real brit kick these low lifes out !!!!
This typeof behavior is rapidly being transported to Western nations and will be the norm one day if things do not change.
istory tells us that Prophet Muhammad did marry a young girl as well. Therefore I have not contravened any law. Even if she is 13, as it is being falsely peddled around,bulll crap ,they follow what is told in the quran as the perfect man ,the one they have to copy ,f u muslimk and die !!!!!!