A 16-year-old child bride from Anambra State forced into early marriage by her parents returned to school on October 8.
Miss Chikwendu’s forced marriage sparked widespread condemnation online and offline after a facebook user shared her story in January this year.
Vivian Queenstine Diora, an angry woman, who wrote on her Facebook page, slammed the marriage between a young girl said to be 16 years old and a mentally unstable man in his late 50s, from a wealthy family in Ozubulu, Anambra State.
Her post reads: “This man in the picture carrying this girl on his leg is by name Izuchukwu Igwilo from the well known very rich Igwilo family in Ozubulu Anambra State.
“The man himself ‘Izuchukwu’ is mentally unbalance. He is suffering from demented brain. He is not normal and at the same time he is a drunkard, and he will be at least 56 years old. Now his family wants to marry a wife for him and they got this small girl for him. A 16 years old girl, This girl is from a very poor family… POVERTY IS A VERY BIG BASTARD …,
“The family of this small girl did not waste time to hand over their daughter to Izu’s family just because the Igwilo family are very rich. This girl is under age for Heaven sake. This is completely evil. Yes a big evil because Izu will not be the one to be servicing this girl because he can not do anything. This girl will turn to a sex slave to that family and the community (Everybody will just be collecting their own share). Devil shame on you.
“I know that they brainwashed this girls family that the girl will take care of Izu’s large share of land’s and other properties, but that will not make them to destroy this little girls future. Ndi Ozubulu come and defend ur self.”
Following the public outcry, Lady Ndidi Mezue, the state Commissioner For Women and Children affairs, intervened and Chiukwendu was retrieved from the Igwilos.
She was rehabilitated, trained in tailoring and empowered with other 100 Ndi Anambra by Industrial Training Fund, ITF.
After the healing and rehabilitation, Chinwendu accompanied by the Commissioner, her elderly father and some staff of the ministry of women and children affairs to the school where she would continue with her education.
