The Senate of Federal republic of Nigeria has approved the marriage of underaged children irrespective of their age in the country. This new law will proscribes the 18 year-old rule for any Nigerian child to qualify to engage in a conscious agreement of marriage.
The Senates claim that a woman is deemed to be full of age once she is married irrespective of her age.
The Proponents or supporters of the underage marriage rule include; Senator Yerima Ahmad Sani, Zamfara West, who claimed that the provision which stipulates a certain age for women before getting married was at variance with Islamic law. After a moment of controversy, Senate President David Mark asked his colleagues to vote afresh on the provision, a situation that eventually went in favour of Sani, who, thereafter thanked the Senate president and his colleagues for supporting his cause.
Worthy of note is the fact that Senator Yerima Ahmad Sani married a 13-year-old Egyptian, two years ago in violation of the constitutional provision.