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Why I chose to get married on Christmas day – Xmas bride

Why I chose to get married on Christmas day – Xmas bride

By Diana Omueza
Marriage
Abuja, Dec. 26, 2019 (NAN) A newly wedded bride, Mrs Abiola Akinremi, has said that she chose to get married on Christmas day, so she could easily remember her wedding anniversary date.

Akinremi, formerly known as Abiola Adeoye, said this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Akinremi said that she was not good at keeping records especially numerics like pins, codes, digits, phone numbers and as such decided to get married on a significant day that could serve as a reminder.

“Although I have always known that I would get married on a day that I would easily remember; but I didn’t think it would be on Christmas day.

“Sadly, the reason is because I ordinarily don’t have a long memory span for numbers and this is not because I have a bad memory in totality; I just have issues with numbers.

“So getting married on Christmas day is a major achievement for me because I would not want to be offending my husband on our anniversary by forgetting the date,” she said.

Akinremi disclosed that as at October, she and her husband never envisaged getting married in 2019, considering that there were no more significant days left in the year.

“I would have waited till Valentine’s day in 2020 or Easter day or Children’s day, or even Independence day to get married.

“But when I sold the idea of getting married on Dec. 25, which was on a Wednesday to my husband, he said it was a brilliant idea because he knows my predicament.

“When we both told our parents, they also thought it was a good idea and immediately swung into wedding preparation.

“Our pastors didn’t hesitate also because we had completed all the church’s pre-marital courses and were only waiting for a significant day,” she said.

Akinremi however said that her predicament had cost her so much in life and was already seeking help with the help of her husband and would see a therapist, if the need arises.

Forgetfulness is a common phenomenon that tends to increase with age and numeric forgetfulness is also a common form of forgetfulness of numbers, digits or codes that have been extensive.

This type of forgetfulness is yet to have a proven scientific therapy to solve the mystery. (NAN)
DOM/OOA/MST
Edited by Olabisi Akinbode/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Adamawa girls demand law against early marriage

Adamawa girls demand law against early marriage

By Yakubu Uba
Girl-child
Yola, Oct. 11, 2019 (NAN) Girls in Adamawa have urged the governor’s wife, Hajiya Lami Fintiri, to sponsor an early marriage prohibition bill to stop parents from marrying out their young daughters.
The girls made the call on Friday in a communique they presented to the governor’s wife after a rally to mark this year’s United Nation’s International Day of the Girl.
Reading the letter on behalf of the girls at Government House, Yola, Ms Fatima Ismaila, said the bill became necessary for the girls to have equal opportunity to acquire education.
“We need you to sponsor an early marriage prohibition bill through the state House of Assembly that will stop our parents from giving us out for marriage at least until after completing our secondary education.
“We need equal opportunity to access basic and quality education, please tell our parents to send us to schools,” she said.
The girls also called for the recruitment of more female teachers and the need for separate toilets in schools.
They also seek protection against rape and other forms of child abuse in the state.
“We are confident in you and his Excellency’s ability to address our concerns and we promised you today ma, we will try our best in studies and character to become role models like you and make Adamawa state a girls friendly state,” she said.
Responding, the state Mrs Fintiri, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women and Social Development, Mrs Justina Patrick, assured the girls of the administration’s commitment to education, particularly that of the girl child.
While noting the many challenges facing the girl child, Mrs Fintiri said that providing the needed education to the girl child is the major way out of the challenges.
“When you are educated you will know your right and be in a better position to protect it,” she said.
She urged for the review of some cultures that suppressed women from contributing more effectively in building the society, adding that the society must speak loud against rape and other violence against women and other vulnerable people in the society.
The Adamawa UNICEF Education Consultant, Mr Joel Jutum, lauded Adamawa government for its collaboration with the fund in various sectors, particularly education.
Jutum, who reiterated the sustained support of UNICEF to Adamawa, said that the international day for the girl child was meant to promote girls’ human right; highlights gender inequalities and address the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that women groups, particularly from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), join the girls in a solidarity rally on streets of Yola. (NAN)
YMU/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Judiciary

Woman prays court to dissolve 13-year-old marriage

Woman prays court to dissolve 13-year-old marriage
By Aisha Gambo
Marriage
Kaduna, July 22, 2019 (NAN) A 30-year-old woman, Hadiza Abubakar, on Monday prayed a Sharia Court ll sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna, to dissolve her 13-year-old marriage, with one Abubakar Isah.
The complainant, who resides at Kerawa road, Tudunwada area of Kaduna, told the court that she was no longer interested in the marriage and was ready to pay back N10,000 dowry to the defendant.
“I am ready to return the dowry he gave me to redeem myself from the marriage,’’ she said.
On his part, the defendant who was represented by his counsel, Abubakar Ashat, told the court that the defendant still loved his wife and wants them to settle for the sake of their four children.
He noted that all means tried by the defendant to settle with his wife proved abortive, adding that they are ready to accept the dowry and give her what she wants.
The presiding judge, Malam Murtala Nasir, after listening to both parties dissolved the union based on “Khul’i” (Redemption). (NAN)
AMG/OOA/MST
Edited by Olabisi Akinbode/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

North: NGO attributes frequent marriage collapse to drug abuse

Alhaji Fahad Ahmed-Chikaji, Chief Executive Officer of Arewa Youths Trust Foundation (AYTF).

North: NGO attributes frequent marriage collapse to drug abuse
By Mohammed Lawal
Dugs
Zaria (Kaduna State), May 6, 2019 (NAN) A Zaria-based NGO, Arewa Youth Trust Foundation (AYTF) has attributed the incessant collapse of marriages in Northern Nigeria to drug abuse.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Executive Director, AYTF, Alhaji Fahad Ahmed-Chikaji, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Monday.
Ahmed-Chikaji, who is also the Coordinator, Kaduna State Gender Ambassadors, stated this at a town hall meeting with youths in Zaria.
He observed that abuse of drugs and other banned substances was on the increase, especially among unemployed youths in the region.
The executive director urged the youths to shun drug abuse, noting that it has destroyed lives of many young people, apart from leading others to madness.
“In Northern Nigeria, drugs and substance abuse has reached an alarming stage; the scenario is ravaging the vulnerable population of youths of both sexes which culminate into separation of marriages.
“Drug abuse remains the main cause of broken marriages and homes, armed banditry, kidnapping and religious extremism, among other violent crimes.
“The alarming situation if not urgently checked will have a negative effect on our families and indeed the entire society, it is worthy to note that intervention of government alone cannot solve the problem.
“As members of the society, we have to join hands with government at all levels to reduce, if not eradicate the menace amongst the people,” he advised.
According to him, parents must be alive to their responsibilities of ensuring proper child upbringing, and advised members of the society to also assist in shaping children’s attitude by monitoring their movement and activities.
He blamed Nigerian elites for their unnecessary arrogance and selfishness such that the attitude had impacted negatively on the society.
“Attitude of some of our elites makes us to continuously loose the positive culture, identity and values at the expense of other cultures and tradition.
“As Africans, we must stick to our good values and traditions, where a neighbour can discipline the child of his neighbour without necessarily the knowledge of his father or mother.
“This is what is lacking today; a neighbour has no right to discipline a child other than his; that is why moral decadence is so rampant in our society.
“For our society to be what it used to be, we must go back to the old values and traditions where every member of the society is a stakeholder towards ensuring a descent, humble, sound and reliable society,” he noted.
Ahmed-Chikaji lamented that some of the drug victims falsely believe that they feel free, high and assumed that they were on top of the world whenever they consume hard drugs without knowing its adverse consequences. (NAN)
KLM/KOLE/MST
Edited by Remi Koleoso/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Education, relevant tool to discourage early child marriage – UNICEF

By Awayi Kuje
Education
Keffi (Nasarawa State), Dec.13, 2018 (NAN) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday that giving proper education to children, especially to female wards, was capable of preventing early child marriage in the country.

Dr Zakari Adams, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Kaduna, stated this in Keffi, Nasarawa State, during the three-day capacity building for 30 participants (UNICEF partners) on Result Based Management (RBM).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day training is organized by UNICEF in collaboration with NOA in Niger for partners from Nasarawa and Niger states.

Adams, who said that education is the right of every child, appealed to parents, government and other stakeholders to provide good education for their female wards in order to discourage early marriage among girls for the overall development of the country.

He explained that the aim of the training was to equip participants with skills that would enable them achieve result-based in the places of their primary assignment towards tackling the plight of women and children.

Adams said that UNICEF was committed to addressing the challenges facing women and children in Nigeria in order to improve on their health status and standard of living, hence the need for the training.

“UNICEF is focusing on families, we have regard for that and we have been committed with the government to create awareness with regard to the children’s  rights.

“Parents should ensure that their children are protected and are not put under unnecessary violence. Children are sent to school rather than being out of school.

“Issue of early marriage especially by female children should be discouHraged. So any person who marries below the age of 18 years according to the UN standard is regarded as early marriage.

“But unfortunately, some girls have been submitted to early marriage and this resulting to huge consequences in terms of their health and their education. It is important issues that our families, our people are facing.

“So to tackle such, school can be a very relevant means to prevent early child marriage as taking daughters to school can prevent them from marrying the man early,” Adams said.

He added that development of any society depended upon the quality of education that was given to the girl child.

According to him, education remained the best legacy parents and government could bequeath any child.

Also speaking, Mr Stanley Garuba, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, who is a facilitator, who spoke on the topic titled “Human Rights Based Approach to Programme (HRBAP), tasked the participants on productivity and results in their places of primary assignment.

“The Result Based Management is applicable at every level, whatever we plan, let’s  focus on result based as applied to women and children because this is basically UNICEF focus,” he said.

NAN reports that the training brought together 15 participants from Nasarawa and Niger states respectively drawn from different ministries in which Mr Rabiu Musa, Communication Officer of UNICEF, Kaduna was also on ground.(NAN)
AKW/AO/MST
Edited by Angela Okisor/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

 

Health

Marriage: Association advocates HIV/AIDS screening

Marriage: Association advocates HIV/AIDS screening
NAN-HG-10
Screening
By Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Oct. 27, 2017 (NAN) Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad, the Chairman, People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Jigawa, has advised intending couples to go for HIV/AIDS screening before marriage.
Muhammad gave the advice while speaking with newsmen in Dutse on Friday.
He commended the Jigawa House of Assembly for passing a law making it compulsory for a man and woman to go for screening before marriage.
The chairman said that the measure taken by government was to reduce the prevalence of the disease in the state.
Muhammad said that their association was creating awareness to the people of the state in public places, including markets and motor parks, on how they can avoid contact with HIV/AIDs.
He added that they were also using the media in the campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDs in the state.
The chairman advised members of the public to go for screening with a view to knowing their status because HIV/AIDs don’t show on the face.
Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of the association in the state, Hajiya Basira Yahaya, said that they have been encouraging women to go for antenatal through to enable them know their status.
Basira also advised women to avoid using knives that cut other women especially during festivities or occasions at the processes of cutting onions, tomatoes or meat without sterilisation. (NAN)
AIS/COO/MST
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Judiciary

Court adjourns gay marriage case till July 4

Court adjourns gay marriage case till July 4 

NAN-H-48
Gay
By Mohammed Lawal
Zaria (Kaduna State), June 7, 2017 (NAN) The Chediya Chief Magistrates’ Court in Zaria, Kaduna State, has adjourned till July 4, continuation of hearing in the case of 53 accused persons arrested for gay marriage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the police in Zaria had on April 18 charged the accused persons for conspiracy, unlawful assembly and belonging to a gang of unlawful society.

The offences contravened sections 97, 100 and 197(a) of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

At the proceeding, the prosecutor, Sgt. Mannir Nasir, told the court that at the last sitting, the accused persons (numbers 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 20, 21, 26 and 54) were in court.

Nasir then applied for a bench warrant and a separate trial of accused person number 2, 3, 9, 12, 14, 20, 21, 26 and 54 under Section 259 of the criminal procedure code.

Lead counsel to the accused persons, Mr Kimi Appah from TS, a Kaduna-based NGO, argued against the bench warrant.

He, however, did not object to the second application for a separate trial.

The court ruled that counsel to the accused neither gave any point of law nor cogent reason in view of the application by the prosecutor.

“The court hereby granted and summoned the surety to come to the court and show cause why accused persons were not in court.

“The court therefore granted the application by the prosecutor for a separate trial under Section 259 of the CPC,” the court said.

After the cross-examining Sgt. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, one of the witnesses, Appah filed an oral application for a definite hearing to facilitate accelerated hearing.

The prosecutor, however, objected to the application, saying most of the witnesses were policemen and may be officially engaged elsewhere.

He then applied for continuation of hearing and asked for another date.

In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mr Auwal Musa-Aliyu, adjourned the case till July 4, for continuation of hearing. (NAN)
KLM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Judiciary

Court dissolves 4-year-old marriage over incompatibility

NAN-H-40
Divorce
Thompson Charlie Yamput
Jos, March 21, 2017 (NAN) A Jos High Court on Tuesday dissolved a four-year-old marriage over what the couple described as their “incompatibility”.

The couple, Dorcas Alimi and Akeem Alimi, residents of Jos, whose marriage on Sept. 7, 2013, told the court, via a document containing terms of out-of-court settlement, that their union had collapsed beyond redemption.

“We can no more accommodate each other; we want this marriage dissolved,” the couple told the court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the wife, Dorcas, had dragged her husband before Justice Christine Dabup, of High Court 8, on Oct. 7, 2016, seeking a dissolution of the marriage.

She prayed the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that the marriage had broken down irretrievably.

When the case came up for hearing on Dec. 13, 2016 the counsel to the wife, Mr Sunday Lekshak, and that of the husband, Fwangshak Pwul, asked for time to explore the possibility of out-of-court settlement, which was granted.

On their return on Tuesday, the respondent’s counsel, Pwul, told the court that they were able to settle the matter out-of-court, via terms that both parties had consented to.

“My Lord, we have been able to settle the couple out-of-court; we have with us the terms of the settlement, which we wish to present to the court for consideration.

“The terms of settlement, dated March 13, 2017 were filed before this court on March 14, 2017 and I hereby call the attention of your Lordship to it.

“The parties have amicably agreed to part because they have both agreed that that they cannot stay together any longer.

“The two of them have also agreed that the marriage is beyond redemption,” he said.

Lekshak, in response, consented to Pwul’s statement and also asked the court to look at the terms of settlement and give its judgement.

Justice Dabup, in her judgement, declared the marriage dissolved based on the terms of agreement reached by the couple.

“According to the terms of settlement before this court, it is clear that the marriage is broken as posited by the couple.

“I hereby declare the marriage dissolved, ’’ the judge ruled.

Dabup, however, commended the two lawyers for settling the couple in the presence of their witnesses. (NAN)

TYC/MNA/ETS

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Edited by Maureen Atuonwu and Ephraims Sheyin

Judiciary

Court dissolves university lecturer’s marriage over husband’s cruelty, violence

 

NAN-H-55
Dissolution
Jos, March 13, 2017 (NAN) A Jos State High Court on Monday dissolved the marriage of a university lecturer, Dr. Evelyn Iyah, over her husband’s alleged cruelty and incessant violence.

Iyah, on March 10, 2016 petitioned the court through her Counsel, Mr G. O Izere, to dissolve her marriage with Mr Iyah Iyah, because he had “lost his desire to love me”.

She further accused him of violence, cruelty and inability to live with her peacefully.

The lecturer also pleaded for an injunction restraining the husband from further threatening her life, or even entering her house.

“My husband behaves in a way that I cannot reasonably be expected to live with him.

“He is violent, cruel, shows open disregard for me and clearly does not love me anymore,” she told the court.

She also asked the court to compel the husband to return her  monies – 13,090 British Pounds and N320,000 “with immediate effect”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, reports that since the case was filed, Iyah never entered any appearance and did not even acknowledge the court’s repeated summon notices sent to him.

NAN also reports that the court had to serve him by pasting the notice at his residence and office, which all came to nought as he did not show any interest on the matter.

When the case came up on Monday, the Presiding Judge, Mrs. Christine Dabup, entered judgment in the applicant’s favour and dissolved the marriage.

She also granted all the wife’s prayers and gave an order to the defendant to pay up all monies in his possession.

“All the reliefs sought are hereby granted to the petitioner,” Dabup declared.

She accused the defendant of utter disrespect to the court, saying that he had not behaved in a way that suggested that he was reasonable enough for the petitioner to live with.

“The case has been in this court for one year now, but the defendant has not shown any interest in the allegations.

“I hereby order that the marriage stands dissolved,” she declared.

She also gave an injunction restraining Mr Iyah from further threatening the life of the lecturer, and barred him from entering her house. (NAN)

TYC/OIF/ETS

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Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo and Ephraims Sheyin