A resident, Mr. Uzochukwu Okoli, has been arrested for contracting an illicit marriage for his underage daughter, Chioma Okoli, with a 34-year-old man.
During investigation, Chioma’s Dad, Uzochukwu Okoli, variously claimed the 16-year-old daughter was 18 years old and 20 years old.
In handcuffs, an unrepentant Okoli publicly threatened to “deal” with the daughters upon returning from incarceration, and they should rather pray for him to die in prison.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Hon Ify Obinabo, has instructed that the case be charged to court.
Both Okoli and, his in-law, Chinedu Nweke, were arrested and will be arraigned in court.
He was arrested after the girl reported to the State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare about the alleged ill-treatment being meted out to her by her father and her “husband.”
Chioma Okoli, who is currently 16 years old, said after the death of her mother, her father relocated her and her sister from Edo State to Anambra.
She alleged that she was first forced to live with a 70-plus-year-old man at the age of 14 but after some time, she ran back to her father’s house before he finally gave her out to a 34-year-old Chinedu Nweke as husband.
Accompanied by her sister, Chioma explained that life with Chinedu has been a living hell as he allegedly beat her and sometimes urinates in her mouth.
According to her, her husband’s cruelty made her flee with their nine-month-old baby.
