This Saturday, 105 orphaned girls from Bungudu town in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, will be married. These girls lost their parents in bandit attacks.
Abdulmalik Zubairu (Zannan Bungudu), a member of the House of Representatives for Maru and Bungudu federal constituency, has organized this event. He informed the press that a research committee of ulama was established, and five women from each constituency in the region were selected to benefit from this program.
“We identified 105 girls who are not widows but have lost their parents due to the security crisis. Each has a prospective groom. We will provide them with furniture such as chairs and beds, and capital to start a business,” Zanna said.
He added that criteria for the program included being an orphan due to the security situation, and being a virgin, not a widow.
“We will give each bride a hundred thousand naira for investment and fifty thousand naira for initial expenses,” he stated.
This mass marriage practice has a long history in northern Nigeria, aimed at supporting parents who cannot afford to marry off their children, though it faces criticism regarding its appropriateness as a governmental responsibility.
Similar programs have been conducted in Kano, Niger, and Kebbi states, marrying off hundreds of men and women in the past.
Marriage is a significant ritual for the predominantly Muslim population in northern Nigeria. However, concerns have been raised by human rights groups about the potential for underage marriages.
Previously, there was a legal dispute between the Minister of Women, Uju Kennedy, and the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Mohammed Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, over plans to marry more than 100 orphaned girls. Despite the controversy, the marriages eventually took place.
