The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has refuted reports that she withdrew a suit that she earlier filed against the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, following his decision to marry off 100 orphans from his constituency.

Sarkin-Daji last week announced his intention to marry off orphaned girls who lost their parents due to banditry attacks in the Mariga Local Government Area as part of his constituency project on May 24.

Sarkin-Daji said it was part of his support for his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.

Sarkin-Daji statement comes just days after President Tinubu launched the #WeAreEqual campaign to promote inclusive education, skill development, and gender equity.

Earlier reports suggested the minister had withdrawn her lawsuit against Sarkin-Daji, however, Kennedy-Ohanenye noted that she has not withdrawn her case “until we carry out due diligence and profiling on the girls.”

Kennedy-Ohanenye also disclosed that the ministry will engage the girls in school enrollment, skill acquisition training and empowerment.

“The Ministry’s primary aim is to ensure that the Welfare and interests of the girls is guaranteed,” Kennedy-Ohanenye tweeted.

It is important to note that Sarkin-Daji, speaking at a press conference in Minna on Tuesday, later denied forcing 100 orphaned girls into marriage as part of his constituency project, stating that the marriage story was untrue and mere speculation.

However, Minister Kennedy-Ohanenye told reporters that her ministry is now collaborating with the Speaker, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders to investigate the ages of the girls to ascertain if they are within the stipulated age for marriage.

The minister also said the Ministry of Women Affairs will, for now, focus on empowering girls, as well as others affected by insecurity in the state.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Grace Njoku, told the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) that Sarkindaji and the Emir of Kotangora visited the minister and they agreed to collaborate on how best to empower the girls.

Contrary to reports about the suit withdrawal; Njoku noted that “even though the suit is there, that is not her emphasis now. The emphasis is that those people from the other angle are standing with her. So it is a collaboration to help those girls, even some outside the 100, in that same local government,

“The marriage will not go on immediately. When they sit and discuss and see the girls, hear from them, then they will know those that are interested in marriage, those that want to go to school. Then a better arrangement will come out.”